By Melvin C. Gascon
The town government of Santa Fe in Nueva Vizcaya has withdrawn its intent to construct a proposed dam project after learning that a mining company that was funding the project had applied for mineral exploration in the area.
In a letter dated October 2, Mayor Liwayway Caramat said the local government unit (LGU) decided to pull out from the Sabo Dam project to protect its long-standing policy of rejecting mining operations in any form.
The letter was addressed to Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“This course of action is taken so as not to compromise our long-standing local policy of ‘No to Mining of Any Form,’ a principle firmly upheld by our constituency and embodied in our development direction,” Caramat wrote.
The Sabo Dam project in Baracbac was initially proposed under the DENR’s “Rivers for Life Program,” with possible funding assistance from OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI), a mining firm operating in nearby Kasibu town.
The program supposedly seeks to reduce flooding, prevent siltation, and strengthen riverbank protection in upland and flood-prone areas in Santa Fe.
A Mining Trojan Horse
However, Caramat said the LGU opted to withdraw its support for the dam construction following reports that NGC Mineral Resources Corp. had sought mining exploration rights in parts of Santa Fe.
The letter did not specify the scope of NGC’s exploration application, but it suggested that the LGU saw potential overlap with the proposed dam site and other environmentally sensitive areas within the municipality.
Despite backing out of the OGPI-funded proposal, Caramat assured the DENR that the municipal government remains open to pursuing the dam project through other means.
“Please be assured that the LGU of Santa Fe remains open and committed to working with the DENR in exploring other avenues and funding modalities to realize vital infrastructure projects such as the Sabo Dam, in a manner consistent with our established policies and advocacies,” she said.
Caramat also thanked the DENR for its “steadfast support and initiative in identifying possible funding sources” for the project.
She stressed the LGU’s appreciation for the agency’s commitment to “environmental protection, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development.”
Santa Fe, an upland municipality bordering Benguet and Nueva Ecija, has long been vocal against mining operations within its territory.
Local officials and residents have maintained that large-scale and even small-scale mining could threaten the town’s forests and river systems, which form part of the headwaters of the Magat River Basin.
A Town Standing Firm Against Mining
In past years, the Santa Fe LGU has passed resolutions opposing mining exploration and has denied applications for small-scale operations.
Environmental groups and local residents have supported these measures, citing the town’s dependence on agriculture, ecotourism, and forest resources.
The proposed Sabo Dam, designed to control sediment flow from mountain streams, was seen as a crucial infrastructure to mitigate flash floods and landslides, especially during typhoons.
The project’s deferment means the LGU will need to seek alternative funding sources to pursue flood mitigation efforts without compromising its anti-mining position. #
