Displaced Zambales miners seek gov’t help

MANILA, Philippines - Employees of four mining firms in Zambales earlier ordered padlocked by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) are calling on the government to provide them with emergency relief assistance.

The workers said their families are suffering after they were laid off from their jobs.

They also deplored the MGB regional office for suspending the operations of four mining companies in Santa Cruz town.

Orlan Mayor, spokesman for the Coalition of Mine Workers, Families and Community (CMWFC), said the government should step up its relief assistance for the 3,000 families affected by the closure of the Eramen Minerals Inc. (EMI), Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. and Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc.

“Now there are 3,000 families going hungry in Santa Cruz because of the suspension on mining operations,” Mayor said.

He said the municipal social welfare office and the Department of Social Welfare and Development have not provided any assistance for the workers since the mining operations stopped.

“The nickel mining companies have been properly compensating us, giving us industry standard salaries. The government should provide us with livelihood that will give as the same compensation,” Mayor, a nurse at the EMI, said.

He described the suspension order as unfair, baseless, and irregular, noting the companies have not been known to engage in environmentally destructive mining practices.

Mayor said Malacañang even cited the EMI for its good sustainable mining practices last year.

He said the EMB-Region 3 seemed to be listening only to a few people claiming to be residents of Santa Cruz.

“Most of the members of the CMWFC are natives of Santa Cruz. We will not condone destructive mining activities by any company. We will be the first to blow the whistle on any destructive practices as we do not want our home destroyed,” Mayor said.

He said the prospect of finding new jobs for displaced workers is dim, as most of them do not have proper education and skills.