THE BAD EFFECTS OF MINING INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES

I. INTRODUCTION

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from anore body, vein or (coal) seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals,iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock salt and potash. Any material that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a laboratory or factory, is usually mined. Mining in a wider sense comprises extraction of any non-renewable resource (e.g., petroleum, natural gas, or evenwater). Mining of stone and metal has been done sincepre-historic times. Modern mining processes involve prospecting for ore bodies, analysis of the profit potential of a proposed mine, extraction of the desired materials and finally reclamation of the land to prepare it for other uses once the mine is closed. The nature of mining processes creates a potential negative impact on the environment both during the mining operations and for years after the mine is closed. This impact has led to most of the world's nations adopting regulations to moderate the negative effects of mining operations. Safety has long been a concern as well, though modern practices have improved safety in mines significantly.

The Philippines, which consists of 7,107 islands, has fragile tropical ecosystems and is an outstanding biodiversity hotspot. It is one of the 17 countries in the world that are the

richest in biodiversity. More than 52,177 species have been identified, half of them are found nowhere else in the world. According to the biodiversity conservation priorities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that is both a megadiversity country and a biodiversity hotspot. It recognizes that there is a small window of opportunity in which it is still possible to save this global hotspot from complete devastation and the unique life forms found within from extinction. This extraordinary biological diversity is at risk because the forest cover of the Philippines has dropped from 270,000km2 when the Spanish left the country in 1898, to 150,000 km2 at Independence in 1946, to just 8,000 km2 in 2006. Mining has a very poor record in the Philippines as a result of the massive social and environmental problems it has caused historically. Records kept by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) reveal the Philippines to be among the worst countries in the world with regard to tailings dam failures whereby the surface impoundments containing the toxic waste from the mining process failed with disastrous consequences for local people and the environment. In spite of this, since 1992, the Government of the Philippines has been pursuing an aggressive policy to revitalize the mining industry, potentially opening 30 per cent of the countrys land area to miIt has promised that mining will be carried out to full international standards and that environmental and social problems will be addressed effectively. The government has conducted mining road shows across the globe. Incentives for foreign firms make their operations effectively tax-free for the first five years. Billions of dollars in investments have been promised and a total of 2,000 mining permit applications are pending. However, critics say there is scant evidence of economic benefit to the Philippines at the national level. At the local level evidence of the detrimental economic, environmental and social impact is widespread. The streamlining of the mining application process has become synonymous with a relaxing of

environmental laws combined with attempts to undermine the legal protections afforded to indigenous peoples. It is feared that proposed constitutional change may further weaken protections.

BODY: Latest government statistics on national physical accounts show that mining in the Philippines has gained in value. However the environmental degradation it has caused has also increased. This, it seems, is the principal trigger of the continuing wide opposition against mining as an economic activity in the country. Countless accidents have happened and have affected thousands of miners in our country, directly or indirectly caused by hazardous mining operations. There is a very high social cost of mining and the impact on the society is immeasurable. Mining deprives farming communities of much-needed water. The industry requires large volumes of water for mining, milling and waste disposal. Mining companies have privatized numerous natural water sources in Itogon and Mankayan for the purpose. Now, the people in many mining-affected communities have to buy water for drinking and domestic use from outside sources through water delivery trucks, or by lining up for hours in the few remaining water sources to fill up a gallon of water. An Environmental Investigative Mission (EIM) in September 2002 indictaed that heavy metal content (lead, cadmium and copper) was elevated in the soil and waters downstream from the Lepanto mine. Water samples from the Abra River were found to have low level pH (acidic) capable of solubilizing heavy metals. One resident who used gravel taken from the Mankayan River for construction of

his house reported that the steel bar reinforcements were corroded after a few months. The same EIM report revealed dissolved oxygen readings at the CIP Mill Outlet and at Tailings Dam 5A to be below 2 mg/L. Aquatic life cannot survive in conditions where dissolved oxygen is below 2 mg/L. Sulfuric acid is also believed to be the cause of the rotten eggs smell that residents report when mine tailings are released into the Mankayan River during heavy rainfall. Another concern is the high amount of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) found at various points of the Mankayan River downstream from Tailings Dam 5A. Contamination of water, soil and air contributes to increased toxic build-up in peoples bodies. Asthma and other respiratory problems often affect local communities as well as mine workers. When peoples health deteriorates, their ability to work and earn money is reduced even further. The old and the young are particularly vulnerable. Occupational health hazards posed by mining to workers are exposure to intense heat, poor ventilation, vibration, dust, fumes, repetitive stress injury (RSI), intense noise, manual handling (e.g. lifting) of heavy machinery and biological and chemical hazards. Due to the nature of underground mining, miners are constantly exposed to intense heat while hydration is very limited. Miners usually have fluid and salt deficiency due to constant sweating, increased stress on the heart, heat stroke, opacity of the lens and reduced fertility due to high heat. Poor ventilation robs the body of needed oxygen causing the brain to malfunction and leads to many deaths especially in underground operations. Vibration on the other hand can cause permanent damage to bones and vibration syndrome or "dead finger" syndrome can lead to gangrene in the hands and

fingers. It can also cause digestive problems due to constant shaking of the internal organs, heart problems and disruption of the nervous system. Mines exposes workers to different types of airborne particulates, making them vulnerable to systemic toxic effects due to the absorption of lead, manganese, cadmium, zinc and other toxic material. Fumes are emitted by chemicals being used or by the machines being employed during mining operations. Coupled with poor ventilation, this can trigger accidents and cause death to workers. RSI being a soft-issue disorder is caused by overloading of particular muscle group from repetitive use or maintenance of constrained postures. Miners who suffer from RSI complain of weakness of the affected muscles, heaviness, "pins and needles" sensation and numbness. Noise or irritating and hazardous sound can cause hearing impairment and/or disrupt body functions like blood circulation and hormone imbalance. Deafness and hearing loss can become irreversible and other non-auditory effects are increased blood pressure and peptic ulcer due to increased gastrointestinal motility. Manual lifting of materials causes back troubles leading to acute pain. A large percentage of the workers suffer sooner or later from this disorder caused by their type of work.Because most mines in the Philippines extract gold, the use of sodium cyanide for leaching gold from finely ground ore is frequent. The use of liquid mercury to create gold-amalgam is also wide-spread. Cyanide blocks the transfer of oxygen from the blood to the body tissues. Signs of acute poisoning include rapid breathing, gasping, tremors, convulsions and death. Effects of sublethal poisoning include headache, dizziness and thyroid enlargement.

CONCLUSION: Mining industry has a major role in our economy. Mining helps our country in its development. In contrast to this, the vast presence of mining in our country, would create a great risk of natural calamity specifically, flash floods, landslides, health problems, pollution to both water and soil and worst, deaths of the people. Therefore, mining creates a bad effect in the agricultural areas in our country.

CITATION: We have seen the devastating effects of some of the mining operations: the spillages of mine tailings in Boac, Marinduque, in Sipalay and Hinobaan, in Negros Occidental, in Itogon, Benguet, and mudflows in Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte. The adverse social impact on the affected communities, especially on our indigenous brothers and sisters, far outweigh the gains promised by large-scale mining corporations. Our people living in the mountains and along the affected shorelines can no longer avail of the bounty of nature. Statement of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines, 1998

WORKS CITED:

Conference on Coal Mining by Noel Parato Colina, Executive Director IOHSAD November 21-23, 2006 http://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/2004/V18n4/BreakingPromises.htm Antonio S. Lopez, Mining in Back biznews, Asia. http://www.indcatholicnews.com/ricee322.html

TERM PAPER IN ENGLISH

Title: The bad effects of mining industry in the Philippines

Student: Allizon E. Gaitera IV- Tropezado Teacher: Mr. Dominador Omoso