Catanduanes Forum

Here are some informations I gathered when I visited Semirara. Below is the plea for help of the people of Semirara:

Help STOP the environmental crime in Semirara, Antique! Mangrove, seagrasses and coral reef areas are sacrificed to produce coal for electricity in Cebu, Luzon and China.
Semirara is in the Municipality of Caluya, Antique although it is nearer to Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro than Antique. It is rich in sub-bituminous coal deposit. Going to Caluya would take about 4-5 hours by boat from the Municipality of Buruanga, Aklan or the Municipality of Libertad, Antique. Another 2-3 hours is needed from Caluya to Semirara. There is a private airport in Semirara of the DMCI (David M. Consunji, Inc.)
DMCI claims 3,832 hectares (75%) of the island for coal mining operations. To change the dirty image of coal, DMCI invested about $300,000 in 2005 for the purchase of ‘coal-washing’ facility and claim that they now produce ‘clean-coal’.

Unfortunately for the people of the island, the wastes coming from the ‘coal-washing’ facility are dumped directly to the mangrove, seagrass and coral reef areas in the Brgy. Alegria part of the island.
The people in the island who are mainly dependent on seaweed production and fishing are crying out for help. Their petition has been sent to DENR Secretary Atienza last September but they are not given prompt attention. They are very far from the public and the media’s eye so they are not given much attention.
Those raping the natural resources of Semirara Island are the same people who wanted to make the island the dumping ground of Metro Manila’s garbage in 2001.
Public opinion and the brave decision of RTC Judge Neri Duremdes stopped their abuses in 2001, public opinion and a strong legal action can stop them NOW!

We need everybody’s help!

Source: http://tulayhawan.wordpress.com/