BORONGAN CITY — Worried of its potential environmental impact, the city government vowed to oppose any plan to open a mining operation in the city.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said the municipal council, along with the barangay captains of villages targeted for mining operation, has come up with a consensus to oppose any mining operation.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau regional office in Eastern Visayas announced last January that certain areas in Borongan and in the towns of Hernani and General MacArthur were opened to mining applications.

The announcement was left unnoticed until the Diocese of Borongan, through its Social Action Center, warned the concerned local government units about the areas that were opened for mining applications.

In Borongan City, four parcels of land with an aggregate area of 2,760 hectares were opened for mining applications.

Agda said that based on the coordinates provided by MGB of the areas opened for mining applications, these are watershed areas that are within the perimeter of the Samar Island Natural Park, which is one of the country’s classified as a protected area under the law.

“This will not only affect the water sources of the city but will also cause massive erosion that will aggravate the sedimentation of our rivers,” Agda said.

He said the city is already facing problems of frequent flooding during rainy season due to shallowing of rivers caused by sediments. He said the city has no budget allocated for the dredging of the rivers especially that it involves huge amount.

Agda added that mining may also adversely affect tourism and fishery especially when tailings reach the sea. He said many projects of the city government to enhance tourism revolves around the coastline such as the annual holding of a national surfing competition.