Townsfolk say illegal mining killing farms

First posted 00:23am (Mla time) July 21, 2006
By Jofelle TesorioInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=10912

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Residents of Narra, Palawan have complained of the continued operation of illegal large-scale mining companies in their area, which they blame for the destruction of their environment and the decline in palay production.

Through the newly formed multi-sector environment group, Kilusang Laban sa Mina sa Narra (KLMN), they denounced the government’s inaction on illegal mining operations, particularly that of Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC).

The KLMN said farmers had been constantly complaining of the low yield of their farms ever since PGMC started mining operations in the area.

Eric Segismundo, one of the complaining farmers, said his lowland farms with an area of 1.2 hectares in Barangay San Isidro, Narra, only produces 47 cavans of palay now, much lower than the average yield of 100 cavans in the previous years prior to PGMC’s mining activities.
He said 70 percent, or 37.1 cavans of palay, were lost due to “lateral siltation” brought about by PGMC’s mining operations.

Laterite is a soil layer rich in iron oxide and sometimes aluminum, which forms in tropical and subtropical regions where the climate is humid.

When concentrated, laterite forms nodules as hard as concrete that tend to “eat up” or suppress the host soil.