Jubgan mining

We know these mining companies will never give up attempting to destroy our place for their greedy self-interest - Photo: Michael Javier

NO TO MINING - SAVE JUBGAN

Jubgan is the small village where I grew up. It is the last village of the Municipality of San Francisco, Surigao del Norte, in north-eastern Mindanao. Jubgan lies at the foot of a mountain along the coast between two rivers where the residents get their daily supply of water. More than 500 families live here, and most of their livelihood comes from either fishing or farming. I can still vividly remember how simple our lifestyle was. We got food from the harvest and the abundance of God’s creation.

Then, without warning, in March 2014, a sign appeared on the national highway announcing “farm to market road" - no other details given, aside from it being a government project undertaken by Surigao Mining (Surimin). The contractor worked quickly, completing the road from the national highway up the mountain in just a few days. They cut down trees, dug the soil and started collecting minerals. Every time it rained, the water in the river changed to a muddy brown, affecting our seawater. The people began to complain, but sadly, the community divided into two groups: those who received a salary from mining and wanted easy money and those whose livelihoods were threatened, mostly fishermen.

While the young people used social media to raise awareness, others gathered ideas about how to stop it. I was there when the first meeting was called, so I joined them. Someone advised us to go to the nearest DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) to check if the activity was legal. We organised a petition and forwarded it to the DENR and the MGB in Surigao City Branch. They were amazed that almost 100 signatories demanded the activity stop, pointing to the pollution that had turned the water a muddy brown. The officers inspected the mine and found that the mining operators had violated the law.

The people began to complain, but sadly, the community divided into two groups: those who received a salary from mining and wanted easy money and those whose livelihoods were threatened, mostly fishermen.

A week after our submission, the office invited us to attend a hearing, together with the financier of the mining company and our local officials. We encouraged everyone who had signed the petition to attend, but most could not afford the fare: their money was just enough to buy food for their families. So, we rented a van to bring those people to the hearing. At the hearing, we learned that the company had no right to operate because they had only applied for a permit for small-scale mining (this was not small scale) and had started operating even before receiving approval! They were ordered to stop operations. We partly blamed the barangay (district) officials because they had allowed the company to operate without considering the consequences.

Stopping the “farm to mining road” was a victory for us. Nature started to heal. The water in the river and the sea became clearer. The road filled with bushes, and the people lived as they did before. But not for long! The mining operator did it again.

In September 2021, under our new barangay captain, the operator came back with the new name Gotinga and with the permission of some local officials. This time, it planned to build a seaport for faster transport of the minerals extracted. Another sign was posted, claiming it had a permit from the DENR. The company worked double-time and even did some quarrying at the rivers.

The problem was the same, only worse, because the company was more aggressive. We could not go to the site to check what was happening because armed soldiers guarded the area. Alarmed, we asked for a meeting with our barangay officials but the latter said that mining was good for the barangay. The truth was it was only good for those involved in mining, not for the whole barangay, and ultimately not good for nature.

We filed a complaint against the barangay captain, some local officials, and the operator. We also appealed to the Municipal Mayor and the neighbouring barangay to help us. Our Mayor called a press briefing with the local media, DENR, MGB, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Gotinga and the local officials. The residents were not informed about that press briefing. However, when I heard of it, I told them to send as many attendees as possible. The problem again was transport. This time, some of our overseas friends helped pay the fares and provide snacks.

During the briefing, we learned the mining operator’s documents were fraudulent. All the agencies present told them to stop. The operator protested that the people in Jubgan had already approved their activity, according to the barangay captain. The people courageously asserted: “Wala mi mouyon anang mina mina diha, nabuhi mi bisan walay mina!“ (We did not agree to that mining. We survived even without mining). So, the operator was forced to stop operations.

We know these mining companies will never give up attempting to destroy our place for their greedy self-interest. Still, if we remain united in defending the sanctity of our natural resources, there is hope that they will not succeed. No matter how wealthy these companies are, the united voice of the people will be heard. We hope and pray that it will also be respected.

As this new dawn of hope emerges, we are happy our new governor has cancelled all the permits involving the destruction of nature, even those of long-standing mining firms.

Columban lay missionary Michael Javier, from the Philippines, lives and works in Myanmar.