Politics · Philippines Bureau
Environmental group pushes Marinduque governor to expedite $100M mining settlement
An environmental organization has called on Marinduque's provincial leadership to accelerate implementation of a $100-million rehabilitation package aimed at addressing damage from the 1996 Marcopper mining disaster. The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns says swift action is needed to restore affected communities.
LSN Philippines ·
CALAPAN CITY — Marinduque's environmental advocates are pressing provincial officials to move faster on a major settlement designed to repair the legacy of one of the country's most significant industrial disasters.
The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns called on Gov. Melecio Go on November 9 to convene relevant stakeholders and accelerate the rollout of the $100-million rehabilitation package, equivalent to approximately 6.4 billion pesos. The settlement aims to address environmental damage and community impacts from the 1996 Marcopper mining incident.
The environmental group emphasized that rapid implementation is essential to deliver relief to residents whose livelihoods and ecosystems were devastated by the disaster nearly three decades ago. Provincial officials have not yet publicly responded to the appeal for expedited action on the settlement framework.
Marcopper's mining operations in Marinduque left a substantial environmental footprint, with ongoing rehabilitation efforts attempting to restore affected watersheds and agricultural lands. Environmental advocates have long argued that comprehensive and timely implementation of remediation programs is critical for community recovery.