Bulacan’s Biak na Bato park declared a no-mining zone

MALOLOS, Bulacan — Alarmed by results of the aerial inspection last week of Mt. Mabio in San Miguel town, Gov. Josefina dela Cruz has declared the entire Biak na Bato National Park a no-mining zone.

Dela Cruz said this move came amid calls from the Bulacan Tourism Council and the Dangal ng Bulacan Foundation to permanently stop mining operations in the area as they believe that further destruction of the mountains there could pose hazards to the lowlands and the nearby provinces Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.

She said the expensive tea rose marble is continuously being extracted allegedly by Rosemoor Mining and Development Corp. (RDMC) despite a Supreme Court ruling cancelling the firm’s mining permit in Mt. Mabio.

"The continued degradation of Biak na Bato is threatening the lowlands in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. And besides, the area is part of the watershed area. This move declaring Biak na Bato a no-mining zone was also made to ensure a steady supply of water for Metro Manila," De la Cruz told reporters yesterday.

Dela Cruz said she was surprised to learn that there are now six marble quarry operators in the mining site of Rosemoor, where there used to be only two.

Last November, Rosemoor was able to secure an Ore Transfer Permits (OTP) from the Central Luzon office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

Dela Cruz, in a letter to the DENR, questioned the grant of the OTP to Rosemoor despite the SC ruling that cancelled with finality its mining permit.

She said Rosemoor extracts marble from Mt. Mabio using explosives to chip off blocks from the mountains. This, she said, might be the reason for the continued erosion of the soil in Mt. Mabio that goes directly into the Biak na Bato river.

The governor said she has asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to give her the authority to file a petition for injunction against the continuous mining operations of Rosemoor before the local courts.

She said this move is supported by the clergy, with Archdiocese of Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros pledging full support for the declaration of Biak na Bato as a no-mining zone.