Sibuyan residents oppose nickel mine over fears of water contamination

Farmers and residents on Sibuyan Island fear a proposed nickel mine could contaminate water sources, damage rice fields, and threaten livelihoods.

Farmers and residents on Sibuyan Island, Romblon, are opposing a proposed mining project for fear that excavation in the mountains could affect the water sources, rice fields, and livelihoods that local communities depend on.

In numerous barangays in San Fernando, farmers cultivate rice at the foot of the mountain where the proposed mining area is located, while streams from the mountain provide water to the surrounding agricultural areas. Residents fear that mining could cause landslides, contaminate their water sources, and damage the farms that have supported families for generations.

The mineral at the center of the dispute is nickel, which is used in products ranging from stainless steel and coins to rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles.

The project is reportedly being pursued by Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC), which plans to extract the nickel beneath the mountains of Barangay España.

Sibuyan is also considered one of the country’s most biodiverse islands, with its long isolation allowing plant and animal species found nowhere else to develop and survive, including endemic pitcher plants.

Opposition to mining on the island is not new, with residents previously blocking mining trucks and protesting the movement of nickel ore.

Anti-mining groups recently held a noise barrage and prayer rally in the area, calling for the project to be stopped and objecting to the local government’s endorsement of APMC’s application.

Some residents, however, see the proposed mine as a potential source of employment and scholarships in an area where jobs are limited, making the dispute a question of both environmental protection and economic opportunity.

The proposal is now being considered at the provincial level, with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Romblon expected to decide whether to endorse the project for further development.

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