Palace mulls suspension of black sand mining

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Malacañang is considering the suspension of all black sand mining operations in the country pending a review of permits granted to mining companies.

Secretary Manuel Mamba of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office said the suspension of black sand mining would not only cover Cagayan as earlier sought, but throughout the country.

Earlier, Mamba, head of the Task Force on Cagayan Black Sand Mining, recommended a stop to all black sand mining operations in the province.

However, he said the Palace is mulling to expand the temporary stoppage throughout the country.

“It was the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) which recommended the suspension throughout the country. This came after our task force sought its suspension in Cagayan,” Mamba said.

The MICC recommendation, he said, came amid the perceived dangers posed by the black sand extraction to the coastal communities and the environment, particularly in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas. 

MICC appointed Mamba to head the Cagayan task force last July. Its members include the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), National Bureau of Investigation  and the Philippine National Police.

The MICC, chaired by Emmanuel Esguerra, deputy director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, is under the Office of the President.

The task force was created to investigate the black sand mining activities in Cagayan as well as to act, direct and recommend measures in connection with its operations, including enforcement of cease and desist order against illegal operators.

Black sand or magnetite, is used as an additive in the manufacture of concrete and steel products, magnets, paint, ink, paper, jewelry and cosmetics, making it a very lucrative commodity in foreign markets such as in China and Taiwan. 

Besides in Cagayan northern coastlines, extraction of black sand is also reportedly being undertaken in some parts of the Ilocos region as well as Zambales province.

The suspension, Mamba said, would allow the government to review the permits of the mining firms extracting black sand along the country’s coastlines.

“We found out that their papers to extract black sand are not in proper order. Their current permits are not enough to conduct mining, especially since these mining companies are exporting these minerals,” he said.   

Mamba said these mining firms were only granted with quarry permits by the MGB and the local government, but not necessarily to conduct large-scale or small-scale-mining operations.

Earlier, Mamba said the questionable extraction of black sand in Cagayan thrives because of the collusion of some influential politicians in the province and national government agencies.