ROXAS City – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Capiz has recently approved an ordinance reinstating a ban on large-scale mining operations in the province.
Eleven members of the SP approved
unanimously Provincial Ordinance No. 003 on Sept. 3, which imposes an
indefinite moratorium on large-scale mining activities in the province.
“This is now a public notice that Capiz is closed to large-scale mining. We cannot
afford to compromise our environment, health and safety of Capiznon to what
they call responsible mining” SP member Mateo Hachuela said.
Hachuela is the author of the ordinance and chairman of the SP’s committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
The ban covers the 16 towns and this capital city, spanning a total land area of 2,596 square kilometers, he added.
Prior to the passage of the ordinance,
a public hearing was conducted on Aug. 23. It was attended by various sectors
and stakeholders, especially those who are to be directly affected by the
mining activities including farmers, fisher folks, farmworkers, laborers,
indigenous people, academes, religious sectors and different government
agencies.
It can be recalled that same ordinance was previously
proposed by SP members Victor Tanco, Jr., Sonny Besa and Elmer Arevalo, but did
not materialized. (With a report from
PENRO Capiz/PN)
