Black sand or magnetite mining is being done now in almost every part of the country. In Cagayan, this is an ongoing problem, with both small scale and large scale miners coming in to gather black sand from both on- and offshore. This is being allowed by the local governments and other executive offices despite the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memo Circular No. 44, s. 2014 clarifications that foreshore mining is not allowed and that there is still a need for a clear guidelines for offshore mining. |
Ten black sand mining companies operating in the province of Cagayan were suspended, following large negative impacts on coastal communities and the environment. However, illegal mining goes on and continues to threaten people and the environment.
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Cagayan black sand mining in shore areas, Luzon, Philippines |
| Country: | Philippines |
| State or province: | Cagayan |
| Location of conflict: | Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Buguey and Gonzaga |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict: 1st level: | Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction |
| Type of conflict: 2nd level : | Mineral ore exploration Wetlands and coastal zone management Building materials extraction (quarries, sand, gravel) |
| Specific commodities: | Magnetite sand Sand, gravel |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details: | limited data available |
| Project area: | 15,000 |
| Type of population | Rural |
| Start of the conflict: | 2008 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Lutra Inc. from Philippines - wholesales, black sand mining Yin Ye Mining Co. from China - black sand mining Lian Xing Mining from China - black sand mining Hua Xia Mining and Trading Corp. from China - mining Huaxia Resources Corp. from China - black sand mining Hao Ren International Mining Group Corp. from China - black sand mining Feiron Steel Inc. from Philippines - steel, black sand mining Global Express Mining and Dev’t Corp. - black sand mining Nova International Cagayan KR Corp. from Philippines - trading, black sand mining San You Philippines Mining Trade Ltd. from China - black sand mining |
| Relevant government actors: | Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Department of Interior and Local Governmnet |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Concerned Laloeno Against Illegal Mining (CLAIM) Alliance for Buguey Committed for Development Association (ALBUCODA) Federation of Anti-Mining Advocates in Cagayan (FAMAC) Aparrianos Movement for the Conservation and Environmental Protection (AMCEP) Alyansa Tigil Mina CBCP-NASSA |
Conflict and Mobilization
| Intensity | HIGH (widespread, mass mobilization, violence, arrests, etc...) |
| Reaction stage | In REACTION to the implementation (during construction or operation) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Farmers Indigenous groups or traditional communities Neighbours/citizens/communities Pastoralists Social movements Women Religious groups Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..) Development of a network/collective action Media based activism/alternative media Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns Street protest/marches |
Impacts of the project
| Environmental Impacts | Visible: Floods (river, coastal, mudflow), Food insecurity (crop damage), Noise pollution, Soil erosion, Waste overflow, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Large-scale disturbance of hydro and geological systems Potential: Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil contamination, Oil spills, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity, Mine tailing spills |
| Health Impacts | Visible: Violence related health impacts (homicides, rape, etc..), Deaths, Other environmental related diseases, Other Health impacts Potential: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Malnutrition |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Loss of livelihood, Violations of human rights, Loss of landscape/sense of place, Other socio-economic impacts |
Outcome
| Project Status | In operation |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Deaths, Assassinations, Murders Repression Violent targeting of activists Project temporarily suspended Anti-mining advocate Gensun Agustin was killed by an unidentified man. Some operations are currently illegally operated. |
| Development of alternatives: | Cagayanons and their support groups are pushing for government support to be able to maximize the agricultural and marine production potential of some areas. Their beach also has tourism potential. |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Not Sure |
| Briefly explain: | Suspension orders are not respected. Communities affected still report illegal operations of some companies. |
Sources and Materials
| Related laws and legislations - Juridical texts related to the conflict |
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| References to published books, academic articles, movies or published documentaries |
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| Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites |
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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| Other documents |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Alyansa Tigil Mina |
| Last update | 11/05/2015 |
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