By HENRY EMPEÑO | 

CANDELARIA, Zambales — Residents of Zambales are now gathering signatures for a petition to stop a mining company from constructing a ferronickel plant in this town, fearing such project will further degrade an environment already heavily damaged by mining operations in the province.

According to the newly-formed Zambales Lingap Kalikasan (Zalika), which is organizing a province-wide movement to make Zambales mining-free, the proposed ferronickel plant will aggravate forest denudation and watershed degradation, as well as worsen erosion and siltation, water pollution, and destruction of traditional livelihood like farming, fishing and tourism.

“We want to preserve the beauty of Candelaria and promote livelihood activities that care for the environment.  We vehemently oppose destructive mining and the construction of a ferronickel plant,” Zalika’s petition said in part.

The project, which has been endorsed by Zambales Governor Amor Deloso and Candelaria Mayor Napoleon Edquid, is touted to be the first of its kind in the country.

Westchinamin Corporation, which proposed the project, said the plan calls for the construction of six industrial production lines to put out some 300,000 metric tons of nickel alloys annually. The plant will process nickel laterite ore under a low-temperature reduction process using microwave technology.

Under the project, Westchinamin also intends to mine for nickel laterite within a 2,000-hectare area in the mountains of Candelaria, a short distance from where four other mining companies have ravaged the land in the neighboring town of Santa Cruz.

In the presence of Westchinamin Chairman Antonio Marfori last month, Deloso turned over a ceremonial key to Lin Cheng Keng, president of the Chinese firm Fujian Hengrun Investment Co. Ltd., which was tapped to build the ferronickel plant.

The ceremonial turnover signalled the government’s assent to the controversial project that residents said was approved without public consultation.

To those opposing the project, it also indicated Deloso’s reversal of his avowed commitment to environmental protection when he ordered a mining moratorium in Zambales upon taking over as governor in June 2016.

“We were caught off-guard when in the middle of August we learned that President Duterte and Governor Deloso have allowed Chinese businessmen to build a ferronickel plant in the town of Candelaria,” said Dr. Benito Molino, chairman of the anti-mining group Concerned Citizens of Santa Cruz (CCOS).

“Now where is Duterte’s promise that he wouldn’t allow the destruction of our mountains and that he will die for the sake of poor Filipinos?” Molino asked.

The anti-mining activist noted that roughly 40 percent of the Zambales land area of 3,380 square kilometers is being eyed by miners.  He said that aside from the big four miners in Santa Cruz — Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc., Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc., and Eramen Minerals Inc. — there are more than 20 other firms with exploration permits and 60 more with application for exploration of potential mines for nickel, chromite, copper and gold in the province.

Daniel Eclevia, who formed the Green Zambales social media forum in response to the ferronickel proposal, also noted should the project push through it would only increase the demand for raw materials being extracted from the Zambales mountains.

“Greater demand means greater destruction. This project will only serve to add to the long list of damages that Zambales has already suffered from mining. We simply cannot afford this,” Eclevia said.

“We’ll be inviting floods and other disasters if we allowed this,” added Alan Ebue in a discussion over the Green Zambales forum.  “Once trees get destroyed by mining operations, a disaster like that in Ormoc could always happen.” (30)

TOP PHOTO: Gov. Deloso (left) hands over the symbolic key to Zambales to Fujian Hengrun Investment Co. Ltd. Chairman Lin Cheng Keng as Westchinamin Chairman Antonio Marfori (right) looks on.