CANTILAN, SURIGAO DEL SUR—In its petition to the President of the Philippines, hand delivered by Surigao del Sur bishop, the Most Rev. Nereo P. Odchimar, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Provincial Office asked the President to stop and cancel the mining operations of Carac–an Development Corp. and Marcventures, as they affect the watershed areas of its irrigation projects in the Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, and Lanuza (CCMCL) area.

The NIA alleges that the Mineral Product Sharing Agreement (MPSA) applications of both mining companies did not mention the pre–existing irrigation systems of the NIA.

The government agency since 1994 sent 10 resolutions to the Presidents of the Philippines asking his/her Excellency to proclaim the entire Surigao del Sur forested area as watershed for its irrigation projects. The NIA never got its wish.

The two mining operations sit on the watershed for NIA's irrigation systems in the towns of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, and Lanuza (CCMCL). Almost Php300 million of irrigation canals and dams will be affected which will have dire consequences to the CCMCL farmlands which is the bread basket of the province and the Lanuza Bay which surrounds the five towns. The watershed area is also host to two major river systems, the Carac-an and the Alamio rivers. The Carac–an River is the biggest river in the Caraga Region. Both rivers empty into the Lanuza Bay, which is the main fishing ground of the surrounding towns. Farming and fishing are the two top sources of income of the population.

Baywatch Foundation, Inc. maintains that the approvals of the MPSAs of the two mining companies are questionable. Both companies violate provisions in RA 7942 – The Philippine Mining Act of 1995's list of areas closed to mining among them: ancestral land; public areas like dams, irrigation, reservoir and valuable crops; and proclaimed watershed areas.

Report from Baywatch Foundation, Inc.

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