House probe on Homonhon mining urged

TACLOBAN CITY — The destruction of historic Homonhon Island from the mining operations of four companies may soon face scrutiny, following the filing of a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a congressional inquiry.

Eastern Samar’s Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales filed House Resolution No. 234, urging the House committees on natural resources, ecology, and local government to jointly conduct the inquiry amid reports of devastation caused by large-scale nickel and chromite mining on Homonhon Island.

Gonzales said the mining operations resulted in grave environmental damage and social displacement in the historic site in his home province.

The 105-square-kilometer Homonhon Island, which comprises eight barangays of the municipality of Guiuan, was once under the leadership of Gonzales when he served as town mayor. It has an estimated population of 15,000 residents.

Gonzales said the inquiry seeks to ensure responsible resource management, uphold the rights and welfare of local communities, and preserve the island’s historical and ecological integrity.

“Homonhon is not only rich in natural resources but also steeped in history as the first landing site of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Decades of unchecked mining threaten to erase both its heritage and its future,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales cited alarming reports of deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, threats to biodiversity — including the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo — and health issues among residents caused by the mining activities.

Equally troubling, Gonzales added, are the social and economic hardships experienced by Homonhon communities, including the loss of livelihoods in farming and fishing, unfulfilled promises of development projects, and the persistent lack of basic services despite years of mining operations.

Recently, the three dioceses of Samar Island — Borongan, Calbayog and Catarman — called for a halt to mining operations encroaching on the island’s watershed, the main source of drinking water for residents.

The Church has criticized the mining activities, which have already encroached on the premises of the island’s public high school, putting the health of students and communities at risk due to the dust reaching the classrooms.

Gonzales wants the inquiry to look into environmental damage, the impact of mining on health and livelihoods, compliance with laws, revenue sharing, historical preservation, and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight.

“The voices of Homonhon residents, environmental advocates, and church leaders must be heard. Congress has a duty to ensure that mining operations are lawful, sustainable and beneficial to the people — not destructive,” Gonzales said.

The resolution mandates the concerned committees to invite relevant government agencies, local officials, community groups and mining companies to testify. Findings and recommendations will form the basis for future legislation to strengthen environmental protection and ensure equitable benefit-sharing for host communities.

Homonhon holds a key place in world history as the site where Ferdinand Magellan landed in March 1521 during his first circumnavigation of the globe, along with his three surviving ships — Trinidad, Concepcion and Victoria.

His crew stayed on the island for a week to rest and replenish supplies before sailing on to Limasawa, Butuan, and eventually Cebu, where Magellan was slain in the Battle of Mactan.

Gonzales’ call for an investigation came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act 12253, or the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act which streamlines the country’s fragmented mining tax system.

Under the law, disparate royalty structures tied to various mining agreements are replaced with a unified margins-based royalty system of 1 to 5 percent for operations outside mineral reservations, and a fixed 5 percent royalty on gross output for those within reservations.