On Wednesday, May 21, a set of satellite images showing deforested mining sites in the municipality of Dinapigue, Isabela, south of the part of the municipality covered by the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park — an area protected by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) — went viral on Facebook. But while the photos have sparked outrage online, Dinapigue Mayor Vicente D. Mendoza confirmed that Dinapigue Mining Corporation’s (DMC) activities in the area are legal and authorized, Brigada News reports.
DMC is a subsidiary of the natural resources development company Nickel Asia Corp. and is permitted to extract nickel, iron, cobalt, and chromite. According to a document from the DENR Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the mining company’s mineral production sharing agreement was issued in July 2007 and is set to expire in July 2032, allowing it to conduct mining exploration activities in Isabela for 25 years.
Nickel Asia’s website says that DMC “actively engages with its host communities by investing in programs that improve education, healthcare, and infrastructure.” Nonetheless, concerned netizens and environmental organizations have called for a stop to the deforestation and mining activities in the Sierra Madre.
Protecting a Natural Barrier
Masungi Georeserve, a privately managed georeserve protecting a portion of the mountain range in Rizal province, said on Facebook that the mining project is “one of the reasons we need to strengthen and scale innovative models in the management and conservation of protected and conserved areas.”
Masungi Georeserve has faced its own conflicts with the DENR concerning land development in the georeserve.
According to the Climate Change Commission (CCC), the Sierra Madre mountain range functions as a natural barrier against tropical cyclones. It slows down strong winds and absorbs rainfall, helping “minimize the destructive force of typhoons, saving lives, protecting infrastructure, and reducing damage to ecosystems and livelihoods.”
Former Ifugao Representative Teodoro “Teddy” Baguilat Jr. reiterated the mountain range’s importance as a typhoon barrier. “Parang kailan lang ay taos-puso tayong nagpapasalamat sa Sierra Madre dahil sa kanyang pagsalo sa bagsik ng mga bagyo,” he said on Facebook. “Pero ngayon, unti-unti na itong nasisira dahil kinakakalbo ng mining at development projects. Hindi lang ito pagkawala ng kagubatan, kundi panganib sa ating kinabukasan.”
The Sierra Madre is also a crucial carbon sink, or an area that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases. It is home to around 3,500 plant species, 58 percent of which are endemic to the Philippines, according to the CCC.
