Biological Status of Marinduque after Mining Tragedy
Current Status of Biological and Social Impacts of
Marcopper Mining Tragedy in Marinduque
Igual, Yna Maria L.; Maglente, Joan L.; Malabana, Don Ashley O.; Rillera, Kirk Thomas A.; Rosario, Francis S.
Biology Student, Department of Biology, College of Science, Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Abstract
Marinduque’s mining-environmental issues are not unique within southeast Pacific and
Southeast Asia. A number of large-scale metal mining operations across the region are gaining increasing publicity for potentially environmentally damaging practices followed over the last 20-30 years. The mining-environmental problems on Marinduque, whether a result of systems failures
(Mogpog and Boac Rivers), or designed practices (Calancan Bay, acid-rock drainage at the Marcopper and CMI mines) present a very useful case study in how similar mining-environmental challenges across the region can be better assessed, mitigated, remediated, and, hopefully, prevented in the future.
The central question of this paper investigates is what are the current condition of the environmental and social system of Marinduque after the series of mine tragedies while some remediation had been executed.
Keywords: Marinduque, mining tragedy, environment, social condition.
INTRODUCTION
Marinduque (Figure 1.0) is a small island province of 952.6 square kilometers lying about 137 nautical miles south of Manila (capital of the
Philippines). It is politically, the center of the
Philippine archipelago (Luzon Datum, 1911). It composed of six municipalities namely, Boac (the capital) , Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, and
Torrijos – where 218 are not evenly distributed and
“inhabited by 238, 850 citizens” (NSO Marinduque
Office, unpublished). The island province which lies between the Bondoc Peninsula at the southeastern part of the Luzon and the island of Mindoro is surround by four bodies of water; Tayabas Strait on the southwest, Mongpong Pass on the
Marcopper Mining Tragedy in Marinduque
Igual, Yna Maria L.; Maglente, Joan L.; Malabana, Don Ashley O.; Rillera, Kirk Thomas A.; Rosario, Francis S.
Biology Student, Department of Biology, College of Science, Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
Abstract
Marinduque’s mining-environmental issues are not unique within southeast Pacific and
Southeast Asia. A number of large-scale metal mining operations across the region are gaining increasing publicity for potentially environmentally damaging practices followed over the last 20-30 years. The mining-environmental problems on Marinduque, whether a result of systems failures
(Mogpog and Boac Rivers), or designed practices (Calancan Bay, acid-rock drainage at the Marcopper and CMI mines) present a very useful case study in how similar mining-environmental challenges across the region can be better assessed, mitigated, remediated, and, hopefully, prevented in the future.
The central question of this paper investigates is what are the current condition of the environmental and social system of Marinduque after the series of mine tragedies while some remediation had been executed.
Keywords: Marinduque, mining tragedy, environment, social condition.
INTRODUCTION
Marinduque (Figure 1.0) is a small island province of 952.6 square kilometers lying about 137 nautical miles south of Manila (capital of the
Philippines). It is politically, the center of the
Philippine archipelago (Luzon Datum, 1911). It composed of six municipalities namely, Boac (the capital) , Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, and
Torrijos – where 218 are not evenly distributed and
“inhabited by 238, 850 citizens” (NSO Marinduque
Office, unpublished). The island province which lies between the Bondoc Peninsula at the southeastern part of the Luzon and the island of Mindoro is surround by four bodies of water; Tayabas Strait on the southwest, Mongpong Pass on the
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