HEADLINES

Marinduque: Still not healed

Carl Magadia · Sep 29, 2026, 12:22 AM

THE barren landscape of the Tapian open-pit mine in Marinduque bears the scars of a disaster that began in 1996, when a fractured drainage tunnel released millions of tons of toxic mine tailings into the province’s waterways. Thirty years on, Marinduque is still waiting for the rehabilitation promised through a $100-million settlement from Barrick Mining Corp., with conditions for its release still awaiting action from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. — Photograph courtesy of oxfam

Three decades after the Marcopper mining disaster devastated Marinduque’s waterways, the province is again pressing the government to act as a 4 October deadline looms over a $100-million settlement intended to fund rehabilitation.

The Diocese of Boac has called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to issue a communication that it says is needed to complete the conditions for the release of settlement funds from Barrick Mining Corp.

In a letter in the possession of DAILY TRIBUNE, Boac Bishop Edwin O. Panergo urged Catholics, other religious groups, civic organizations, and communities across Marinduque to push for the issuance of what the diocese described as the remaining “DENR Communication.”

“As we approach the 4 October 2026 deadline, we invite all Catholics to unite in prayer for the environment and in a collective expression of our united position that the DENR Communication be released,” Panergo said in Filipino.

A prayer rally organized by the diocese was held Monday in front of the Marinduque provincial capitol, with parishes encouraged to invite leaders and members of other faiths.

The appeal revives scrutiny of a settlement reached more than three decades after the 24 March 1996 Marcopper disaster, when a drainage tunnel failure released about 1.6-million cubic meters of tailings into the Makulapnit-Boac River system.

The waste spread across about 27 kilometers of waterways and coastal areas. A DENR assessment said the spill left the Boac River virtually dead, while farms were damaged and irrigation systems clogged.

Now, a $100-million settlement intended to address claims related to the environmental damage remains subject to conditions involving the DENR.

Barrick said it and the provincial government signed settlement agreements on 4 April 2025 covering proceedings and claims related to environmental issues associated with the Marcopper mine, without any admission of liability.

Under the agreement, Barrick will pay $100 million to Marinduque over three years, but only after specified conditions are met, including Court of Appeals approval and certain DENR confirmations.

The CA approved the settlement on 3 October 2025 and dismissed with prejudice the Writ of Kalikasan proceedings against Barrick and Placer Dome. Barrick subsequently reported that DENR confirmations remained among the outstanding conditions.

In April, Barrick deposited $50 million, or roughly P3 billion, in escrow, representing half of the settlement. The remaining $50 million is to be paid in three tranches over three years.

DENR action awaited

The issue resurfaced in August after Marinduque Gov. Melecio Go sought DENR guidance on whether the settlement would adequately cover the rehabilitation or remediation required in the affected areas.

The provincial government said the DENR was preparing to formally communicate with Barrick in accordance with environmental laws and agency regulations.

Go has also questioned how the settlement was negotiated, particularly the lack of direct DENR participation despite the agency having its own environmental claims, directives, and rehabilitation requirements involving Marcopper and other parties.

Go terminated the services of the private lawyers who handled the settlement, citing what he described as legal, procedural, and practical deficiencies.

Go also stressed that the dismissal of the Writ of Kalikasan did not extinguish the DENR’s regulatory authority or separate environmental claims.

The governor further warned that the amount available to Marinduque could effectively be reduced to $75 million if the former lawyers succeed in a $25-million garnishment claim.

A disaster still being settled

The Marcopper disaster dates back to 1996, but its legal and environmental consequences have stretched across generations.

Placer Dome, which held an indirect 39.9-percent interest in Marcopper, later divested its stake. Barrick acquired Placer Dome in 2006 and inherited the litigation arising from the historic mining operations.

With the 4 October deadline approaching, the diocese is now adding its voice to the pressure on the DENR, arguing that the long-awaited rehabilitation of Marinduque should not be held up by the remaining settlement condition.