Just in time for the celebration of International Women’s Month, a group of mothers representing the four barangays of the island of Manicani in Eastern Samar – Banaag, Buenavista, Hamorawon, San Jose – gather to draw attention to the economic condition in their communities, committing to protecting Manicani as they await the resumption of jobs in the island.
Manicani is a highly-mineralized area. Mining operations on the island, however, have been deferred for years as the government contract of Hinatuan Mining Corporation’s (HMC) Manicani Nickel Project (MNP) to manage the development of the mineral resources of the island had to go through extended and detailed legal scrutiny.
For years, the majority of the residents of the island have been anticipating and appealing for the government to allow the resumption of mining operations knowing it will bring the much-needed jobs and economic freedom to the more than 600 households in the island.
On March 2, 2022, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced the resumption of the operations of HMC, after years of deliberation, including the release of the result of the investigation conducted by the Agency’s ‘Special Team’ attesting to the feasibility and viability of mining in the island.