More than 400 residents gathered in Nueva Vizcaya to oppose mining operations inside the province’s watershed areas, warning of threats to water security and agriculture.
The forum, held at St. Louis College in Solano, was organized by the Diocese of Bayombong and the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC).
In a pastoral letter read before participants, Bishop Elmer Mangalinao expressed opposition to the new mining explorations in Dupax del Norte town. He said his diocese “stands firm that mining has no place in our province.”
He urged collective action, saying, “Our challenge is to demand transparency, accountability, and action from our elected and appointed officials.”
The letter, issued on August 23, came in response to an exploration permit granted to Woggle Corporation, an affiliate of British mining firm Metals Exploration Plc.
The company already operates through another subsidiary, FCF Minerals, which runs a gold-molybdenum mine in the province. Residents also expressed concern over expansion moves by Canadian-Australian miner OceanaGold in Kasibu.
Nueva Vizcaya was declared a watershed haven in 1975, supplying water to Quirino, Benguet, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija. Forum speakers said increased mining activity has worsened siltation of rivers, soil erosion, and unstable water flows.
“Water discharges from our watersheds are an alarming concern in the province. Water accumulated is lower, with creeks and streams drying up during summer, while the rainy season, large volumes of water are produced, causing floods in the province,” said Dr. Jayson Caranza, dean of the College of Forestry, Environment, and Resource Management at Nueva Vizcaya State University.
He noted that indiscriminate mining, whether large-scale or small-scale, has worsened the problem, causing water to turn murky during heavy rains and to deplete during droughts—conditions that lead to siltation and flooding in river systems.
LRC’s legal services coordinator, Atty. Rolly Peoro, pointed to policy loopholes undermining protection efforts.
He said overlapping tenurial instruments for mining, forestry, and other land uses “lead to activities that deplete and pollute watersheds and destroy critical ecosystems.”
“Nueva Vizcaya already has policies designating the protected status of watersheds and should be the priority land use,” he said.
He emphasized that stronger safeguards are available, including policy options such as Local Conservation Areas or Critical Habitats to expand protection of Nueva Vizcaya’s watersheds.
He also urged citizens to make use of mandatory public participation mechanisms, like consultations, to press authorities into prioritizing watershed protection.
