Senator Loren Legarda strongly opposed potential mining activities in Antique as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Western Visayas (MGB-6) considers designating Patnongon, San Remigio, Valderrama, and Sibalom as mineral reservations.
She warned that mining threatens the province’s cultural heritage, sustainable livelihoods, natural resources, and public health.
“Antique’s true wealth lies in its people, culture, and environment. Mining activities will disrupt livelihoods, destroy natural habitats, and risk the cultural legacy that Antiqueños have preserved for generations,” said Legarda.
The senator from Antique cited recent landslides and soil erosion from over-quarrying, which caused fatalities, displacement, and farmland destruction.
Expanding mining in upland areas, she added, would worsen deforestation and soil degradation, increasing disaster risks.
Antique is home to two protected areas under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act of 2018: the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park and Sibalom Natural Park.
These safeguard biodiversity, provide water sources, and support agriculture and eco-tourism—industries that Legarda argued are essential to the province’s economy.
“Our economy thrives on agriculture, fisheries, and eco-tourism–industries that are sustainable and rooted in our culture and identity as Antiqueños,” according to Legarda.
“We do not need mining to fuel growth. Instead, we should invest in enhancing these industries to create jobs and improve lives without destroying and risking our environment.”IMT
