A militant fisherfolk group called anew Monday the suspension of the Manila Bay “beach nourishment project” after Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu suspended the operations of two mining firms that provided the crushed dolomite from Cebu.
Pamalakaya described as “absurd” the suspension order issued by Cimatu last week against the Dolomite Mining Corp. (DMC) and the Philippine Mining Service Corp. (PMSC) when the construction of the the articifial white sand beach in Manila Bay still proceeds.
“Mr. Cimatu seems to be out of his mind when he had the two mining firms suspended yet the beach nourishment project which these two firms have been supplementing remains in full operation,” Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap said.
Cimatu suspended the two mining firms, both based in the southern town of Alcoy, Cebu, pending the results of the investigation on the alleged dolomite mining damage.
The alleged damage on the coral reef in the waters near the mine site was the subject of the complaint of the local government.
Pamalakaya is not buying the suspension of DMC and PMSC, saying it is part of a “cover-up” for the controversial white sand beach project and the environmental damage caused by dolomite mining.
Hicap lamented the suspension would never restore the affected marine life and resources.
“Damage has already inflicted to the marine environment. It will take time to restore the coral reefs destroyed by this mining operation,” he said, citing it may take 250 years for a meter of coral to regenerate.