Bagacay abandoned mine, Jan. 8, 2008

Nestled among the foggy, forested mountains of Western Samar is the abandoned pyrite and copper mine of Bagacay in the municipality of Hinabangan. The Marinduque Iron Mines Agent, Inc. (MMIC) began mining this area in 1956. In 1985, a Memorandum of Agreement between MMIC and PHILPHOS transferred mining rights to the Philippine Pyrite Corp. (PPC).

This video shows open pits that PPC abandoned in 1992 and are now partially eroded. Part of the 70-hectare failed reforestation area is also viewed. (Former officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources were given PhP5 million for the task. They did not test for soil quality, and none of the planted trees survived. Only the sticks that were supposed to guide their growth remain.) Also seen here are shots of dark effluent flowing downhill from the mine site to the village, along the way discoloring limestone into black, rich ochre, and a rather smelly bright yellow. Residents suspect the yellow tinge is caused by sulfur which was heavily used at the mine. Lastly, a view of the Central Guila-guila Creek is included.

Without any water treatment, soil rehabilitation or tailings pit maintainance, acid mine drainage continues to pollute the Guila-guila Creek. Guila-guila runs through the mined area, flowing near the tailings dams and all abandoned pits, before draining into the Taft River.

Residents of Bagacay get their drinking water from hand pumps and deep wells. They are conflicted about the idea of resuming mining operations in the area because, while they are very concerned about water safety and other environmental and health impacts of mining, they are also in dire need of livelihood.

A temporary dam of piled stones, not expected to last the next storm, has been commissioned by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, to block larger pieces of rock from being carried by the water down to the village. An experimental farm plot also continues to search for ways to make the abandoned mine site sustain plant life again. Moreover, a rehabilitation of the abandoned mine using World Bank funding is being prepared, but will not include soil treatment and water quality restoration. Residents are asking how far their government will go for environmentally sound poverty reduction.

For more on abandoned mines in the Philippines, see:
http://www.impactmagazine.net/pdf/vol41_no09.pdf

http://twitter.com/cielyg

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• mining
• company
• abandoned
• mine
• pyrite
• copper
• sulfur
• environment
• forest
• poverty
• World
• Bank
• Philippines
• Samar
• Bagacay

[CkRuShF1RsT]

@arnelschp .. taga bagacay mines ako.. for short sakob hahaha... kakamingaw na ngadto... asya na an nahitabo han sakob.. kairo..=(

[quiminmn]

kumusta haiyo ngatanan bagacaynons! personally ok ako in re-opening the mines only if the Bagacaynon's manage the operations thru Cooperative. I hope i will be given the chance to present Cooperativism as a way to rehabilitate our very own place Bagacay Mines

[alainexus]

hahaha!

1. itinuro sa atin noong elementary tayo na mayaman tayo sa likas na yaman kagaya ng mga mineral

2. sinabi bang minahin? ito ang bunga ng itinuro sa atin ng american education. na brain wash tayo ng di natin alam. mayaman tayo sa mineral kaya with open arms and open legs ay patuloyin natin ang mga dayuhan magmina, samantala tayong mga taal na nakatira dito ay wala man lang matirhan, matamnan, at makunan ng mapagkikitaan.

[cilit99]

is this an abandoned copper mine?

[arnelschp]

juncapon..are you from cansolabao..ako din?..siguro kilala kita.. i grew there also.. pero natransfer family to Cebu when i was in college..would you mind giving me your email?. thanks!!

[juncapon]

Hi Epal! Taga Bagacay ka ngay-an. I was born in Bagacay but we migrated to Cebu. I studied elementary there. I have fond memories of Cansolabao where I had friends. Alain, you cannot be close-minded in this issue. I think there's a middle ground. We can have mining (i.e. employment) and mitigate its effect on the environment at the same time. What we need is a well-thought and sustainable governmental policy on mining. A policy of absolute mining prohibition is not only unrealistic but stupid.

[kalbome]

tama si kalvome mag open na lang uli, iba ang lafayette mining kaysa bagacay mine thousand ang  empleyado pag may operation. natural resources kasama yan sa binigay ng Diyos sa atin kaya dapat pakinabangan. mag isip ka din naman no? yan gamit mong computer galing sa mina ang materyals dyan hindi galing sa produkto ng pagsasaka.

[EPALnyo]

yong bahay po na nakunan nyo yong sa isang friend ng nanay ko..hahaha!kaya natuwa ako.grabee!!yan ba ang epekto ng mina noon? bata pa kasi ako nung tinigil yn,basta mahilig lang kami mamulot ng bato sa mina nun.

[EPALnyo]

wow!tagabagacay ako..at infairness january 9 birthday ko at pinost nyo ito ng january 8

[alainexus]

generate ng employment? ilang taon? ilang tao ang makikinabang? sa lafayette mining sa rapu-rapu island ay 28 lang ang locally employed! mag-isip ka naman? pano mo ibabalik ang sinira ng mina? sampung taon? daang taon? ewan ko kung maibabalik pa! huwag mo lang ang isipin ang ngayon, ang susunod pang henerasyon! mag-isip ka naman, no?