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Sarihay in Focus: “Ugly scars left behind by miners overshadow development” by Jonathan Mayuga

Posted on September 1, 2016

(First in a thirteen-part series on the 2^nd Sarihay Media Awards winners)

Jonathan L. Mayuga, in “’Ugly scars’ left behind by miners overshadow development” reports how mining’s destructive effects on the environment remain years after their extractive activities are over.

Specifically, Mayuga cites the “scars” left by Marcopper in Marinduque, and Philex in Benguet,” as the worst in the country’s history. “The accidental leak at Philex’s Padcal mine dumped over 20 million metric tons of sediments into the Balog Creek in Benguet and Agno River in Pangasinan and reached the San Roque Dam. The Marcopper Mining Disaster on March 24, 1996, in the island-province of Marinduque, on the other hand, rendered the Boac River “biologically dead,” says Mayuga.

He cites environmental groups Alyansa Tigil Mina and Kalikasan-PNE, who challenged the government anew in 2015, to review large-scale mining’s benefits against the damage it causes the environment.

Mining remains to be top priority in FPE's National Environment Agenda (NEA), due to its negative impacts on effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable development (BCSD) efforts. Read FPE's policy brief on mining here. 

Read the full report here.

Published in Business Mirror last October 1, 2015, the piece bagged the Best News Story in a National Newspaper award in the 2^nd Sarihay Media Awards last August 26, 2016.

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The Sarihay Media Awards recognizes the role of the media in promoting awareness and deeper understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues among policymakers, decision makers, and the public. The campaign honors media practitioners who delivered outstanding and responsible reportage of environmental news in the past year. The term "Sarihay" comes from the Filipino phrase, "Samu't Saring Buhay", which aptly describes the “diversity of life,” or biodiversity.

The 3^rd Sarihay Media Awards will be open for submissions in early 2017.