In fear of losing water resources residents of Sitio Dalicno, Itogon went to the streets in protest against the Sangilo Mines Expansion Project (APSA 103) by Itogon-Suyoc Resources Incorporated (ISRI).
“Sana hindi matuloy dahil maraming maapektuhan. Yung mga kabuhayan at kaligtasan namin,’ Cristeta Cayta 62, resident of Sitio Dalicno, Itogon said.
ISRI is poised to expand underground mining operations from 35.26 hectares to 300 hectares in Itogon, Benguet pushing over a hundred residents in protest January 27, at the Itogon Trading Center while an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Public Scooping by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)
Residents said short notice was given to the public on the scoping activity with the letter received only on January 8 at the Office of the Vice Mayor leaving stakeholders without ample time to analyze and understand it.
The protest statement said, “The only way to genuinely inform the ICCs/IPs about the content of the document is to conduct smaller community information meetings at the barangay or sitio levels, in order that the scoping documents can be properly explained. A municipal-level scoping conducted 13 days after the notice of such activity does not satisfy the requirements of genuine public consultation.”
Residents dispel statements by ISRI saying the expansion will not affect water resources arguing households currently receive water via delivery trucks.
“The community’s concern is not about how water is delivered, it is about whether the natural springs that serve as the source will continue to flow after underground mine dewatering operations begin,” the protest statement said.
As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment process, community members have raised substantive concerns regarding the project’s potential impacts on local water resources and the structural safety of the existing Tailings Storage Facility (TSF).
Residents claim a technical review indicates that the current Tailings Storage Facility structure appears to be steeper than what is allowed by DENR regulations. This constitutes an apparent violation of established safety standards.
“Lahat ng komunidad nilagyan nila [ISRI] ng mining kaya kawawa talaga kami,” said Allan Sabyano, 41, a resident of Itogon. [They have put mining in all the communities so we really are unfortunate]
To ensure the safety and transparency of the proposed expansion, the community demands an immediate, independent topographic verification of the current TSF embankment with the survey conducted by a third-party engineer selected by the community to guarantee an unbiased baseline of the facility’s existing physical state.
This initial step serves as a necessary prerequisite to ensure that any future engineering models are built upon accurate, verified data rather than internal company reports alone.
Plans for expansion must undergo a comprehensive Independent Technical Review (ITR) which includes Slope Stability Analysis, Seismic Vulnerability Assessment and Hydrological Capacity Check.
The community asserts that the results of these technical assessments must be publicly presented to them prior to the issuance of any permit approvals. – Maria Elena Catajan with reports from Alexis Aubrey Asalil