by Miriam G. Desacada
Borongan City–The government had launched and activated Task Force Homonhon (TFH) to save the historic Homonhon island of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar from further environmental degradation due to commercial mining operations there by at least seven big multinational companies.
House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, of 4Ps Party-List, announced this wind of change on Monday following a meeting of national government officials, multisector representatives, and other stakeholders in Borongan City, capital of Eastern Samar.
Wind of change means a welcome sign of good things to come, as it refers to a period of transition or a shift in the ways things are done or perceived. And TFH will usher in a wind of change for a better Homonhon, many observers agreed with Libanan on this.
“We are pleased to report that following a meeting that we initiated among stakeholders, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has activated Task Force Homonhon,” Libanan said, referring to this as a vital effort to address environmental issues in the island due to nickel and chromite mining activities.
“As discussed during our meeting, the task force will visit Homonhon, inspect all mining operations there, and then adopt a comprehensive action plan to save the island,” said the congressman, who is himself a native of Eastern Samar.
Libanan said the task force will ensure that mining entities in Homonhon are complying fully with all environmental and community health protection laws, and that they are restoring and improving all the areas that they have disturbed, including the island’s coastal ecosystem.
“We are also counting on the mining firms to spend for Homonhon’s electrification and the installation of a water system that will provide round-the-clock running water supply to households there,” Libanan said.
Homonhon Island, facing east of Leyte Gulf, has a land area of 105 square kilometers with a 20-km long coastline, and has a current population of 5,073 spread in eight barangays, which are part of Guiuan town in Eastern Samar.
Yulo-Loyzaga designated Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Carlos Primo David as head of Task Force Homonhon.
The mining firms are also required to designate representatives to the task force to facilitate coordination and implementation of remedial measures to restore Homonhon’s environment, including the island’s coastal ecosystem.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the private entities that have mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) with the national government in Homonhon.
A mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) is one of three types of mineral agreements that the government grants to a contractor for the right to mine within, but not title over, a contract area.
Under the MPSA, the government shares in the production of the contractor, whether in kind or in value, as owner of the minerals. In return, the contractor provides the financing, technology, management and personnel for the mining project.
At present, the MPSA holders in Homonhon are: Global Min-met Resources Inc., Emir Mineral Resources Corp., Verrum Terra Geoscience Inc., Techiron Resources Inc., Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration & Development Corp., Chromiteking Inc., and Nickelace Inc.
Libanan meanwhile said he intends to find out why Guiuan has not been receiving its rightful share of the revenues collected by the national government from the mining activities in Homonhon.
Under the law, Libanan said local governments are supposed to receive 40 percent of the national treasury’s earnings from mining taxes and royalties from mineral reservations collected from their areas.
Besides Yulo-Loyzaga and David, those present in the meeting with Libanan were: Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan, DENR Undersecretaries Ignatius Rodriguez and Juan Cuna, DENR-8 Regional Director Lormelyn Claudio, Mines and Geosciences Bureau-8 Regional Director Glenn Noble, Carmi Macapagao of the Homonhon Environmental Advocates and Rights Defenders (HEARD), and Fr. James Abella, Chancellor of the Diocese of Borongan. —Miriam G. Desacada