TACLOBAN CITY — As opposition mounts against proposed black sand mining operations in MacArthur, Leyte, the Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas (DA-8) has warned that mining activities could cause long-term damage to agricultural lands and threaten the livelihood of farmers in the area.
During a press conference organized by the MacArthur local government, DA-8 officials outlined the potential environmental and economic consequences of mining, particularly in farming communities where rice production is a primary source of income.
Jenny Lyn Almeria, officer-in-charge regional technical director for operations and extension of the DA-8, said mining operations may result in land degradation due to the loss of topsoil, rendering farmlands unusable for decades.
“Among the significant effects are land degradation due to loss of topsoil, water contamination and scarcity, increased coastal erosion and flooding, destruction of irrigation facilities, and deterioration of soil quality,” she said.
Almeria added that mining could also trigger socio-economic displacement among farming communities, land conversion, loss of biodiversity, and long-term devaluation of agricultural areas, ultimately affecting farmers’ productivity and income.
Almeria emphasized the need for a harmonized and sustained rehabilitation plan should mining activities proceed, stressing transparency and community participation to ensure that all stakeholders are properly informed.
The controversy stems from the planned resumption of magnetite or “black sand” extraction in the town. However, Romulo Babatugun, division chief of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 8 (MGB-8), clarified that MacArthur Iron Projects Corporation (MIPC) has yet to secure approval of its required three-year work program from the agency’s central office.
Babatugun said the company must also comply with other local requirements before it can resume operations.
Residents from several barangays, particularly farmers, have staged picket protests opposing the mining project. They claim previous activities have already affected farmlands and rice production. Protesters are also blocking the transport of a dredging equipment to the mining site, fearing it signals the resumption of operations.
The groups have sought intervention from Malacañang, Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, urging authorities to halt the mining project.
For its part, MIPC, through its Human Resource and Administration representative Lorenz Medua, maintained that the company has not resumed operations. He said the dredger being transported is part of preparatory measures pending regulatory approval and is intended to upgrade operational efficiency.
MacArthur Mayor Rudin Babante also clarified that the local government has not issued any permit allowing the company to operate.
In 2022, the municipal government ordered the suspension of mining activities following reported damage to an irrigation canal of the National Irrigation Administration within the project site.
The dispute continues to stir tension in the town as residents press for the protection of agricultural lands and food security.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
