Are the benefits of mining worth the damage the industry creates in the environment and the lives of people?
Ted Failon will assess the destructive impact the mining company S-R Metals, Inc. created on the lives and surroundings of the people of Tubay, Agusan del Norte on the next episode of “Failon Ngayon” this Saturday (Feb 11).
In his investigation, Ted learned that over the seven years it has operated, the mining firm has earned a gross profit of P 4.1 billion, but has paid a measly P 14 million in tax. Furthermore, Ted found that the company did not fulfill its promise of a decent relocation site for the residents of the area where it set up its business.
According to Rodrigo Ballespin, a resident of Tubay, the displaced people had been assured concrete houses, electrification and clean water supply, but not all of them were ultimately granted these provisions.
The mining firm was also said to have caused the contamination of the river in Tubay, making it difficult for fishermen to earn a living. Moreover, residents were said to be suffering from acute respiratory infection, diarrhea, parasitism and skin infection due to the pollution.
Who must be held accountable for these damages? How did S-R Metals, Inc. secure a permit to operate? Will the residents ever be given the decent relocation site they were promised?
Find out as Ted probes into the operations of the mining firm and the damages it has caused in the community on “Failon Ngayon,” Saturday (Feb 11), 4:30 p.m. on ABS-CBN.
