Mining in city proposed!
MAASIN CITY – The “mother of all ecological disasters” has arrived in our beautiful and peaceful city. It came in the form of a standard application endorsed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for an Exploration Permit for the Cebu based Plutus Mining Corporation. Once approved, the permit would allow the company to explore for cobalt, gold, nickel and other minerals in Maasin City, Macrohon, Malitbog and Tomas Oppus.
The MGB has given residents of the exploration sites 10 days to express any misgivings on the proposed exploration project; meaning they had better mail or hand carry their arguments against the proposal on or before June 25, 2008!
The Mining Act of 1995 opened the flood gates to commercial mining in the country. This Act which was declared constitutional by the Supreme Court in 2004 allows foreign and local companies to operate mining concessions of up to 87,000 hectares; or roughly one fourth the size of Southern Leyte. It also gives them “Auxiliary Rights” over the slopes, timberlands and waterways within these concessions. There are four other mining companies now exploring for minerals in Southern Leyte in the towns of Pintuyan, San Recardo, Sogod and Bontoc.
SLT has interviewed the major political and religious leaders in the province on the mining issue and below are their stand on this controversial issue.
Governor Damian Mercado says he is for it, as long as it doesn’t damage the environment. While Congressman Roger G. Mercado a staunch environmentalist who sponsored a Total Log Ban Bill in Congress is expected to oppose any mining in Maasin because it has been declared a “Danger Zone” by the MGB itself. Mayor Maloney Samaco who told SLT in 2007 that he would not allow strip mining in Maasin during his administration is also expected to oppose the Plutus Mining Corporation’s request to explore for minerals in the city.
The religious leadership in the province and the entire Eastern Visayas appear to have a common stand against strip mining as evidenced by its recent Anti-mining Manifesto signed by all the protestant pastors in the region and supported by the Catholic and the Philippine Independent Church.
The manifesto which was sent to Governor Mercado last November warned of the dire consequences of open-pit mining.
  
Tricycle Strike Paralizes City
MAASIN CITY, June 23 - A covert strike by motorcycle drivers here brought the city to a standstill and forced city hall to raise its passenger fees by two pesos.
The strike which started early Monday morning ended only when the city council agreed to raise its passenger fees by one peso within the publacion, and by two beyond its limits. It was the first strike by a public utility since Maasin became a city in 2000. Angry commuters however complained that motorcycle drivers had imposed the new rates even before the the City Council’s decision to increase them.
A councilman, who requested anonymity, said their decision was “Solomonic” because it pleased both camps. He said commuters who disagreed with the new rates could walk.
Historic Sogod Bay swim deferred
Sogod – The historic attempt by three foreigners to swim the 12 kilometer shark infested entrance to Sogod bay has been deferred due to Typhoon “Frank” which hit Southern Leyte with winds of 100 kilometers an hour.
Dutchman Yan Willem Van Bochove, the 28 year-old Chief Technical Advisor of Coral Cay and Englishmen Christopher Sharp and Yatin Pattel who are both diving instructors of Coral Cay were scheduled to attempt the crossing last Saturday.
According to Wang Yu Abiera, the Disaster Management Officer of the Community Extension Development Program of the College of Maasin, the swimmers would have started their swim at 7:00 a.m. in barangay Napantao in San Francisco town and swim across to barangay Lungsodaan, Padre Burgos on the other side of the bay
The crossing would have taken about three hours. The Maasin Coast Guard said it would warn vessels passing the area when the swim took place, but a Coral Cay spokesman assured them they had the vessels and manpower to ensure their swimmers safety.
 
Students swamp City College
MAASIN CITY - Enrollment at the one year old City College of Maasin has increased two-fold this year because of its subsidized tuition fees which is the lowest in the province and perhaps the entire Eastern Visayas.
The institution which offers four-year bachelor degree courses in Public Administration, Agriculture, Social Services and Travel and Tourism is the brain child of City Mayor Maloney Samaco who sponsored its creation when he was still vice mayor.
Samaco has refused an offer to upgrade the institution into a state college since it would eventually mean higher tuition fees which conflicts with the school’s goal of providing quality education that Maasinhons could afford.
He said that by subsidizing the cost of education at the college under the city government tuition fees for all its courses could be maintained at P1,775 to 2,045 per semester which city residents can afford.
The college offers free education for all elected and appointed barangay officials which include barangay health workers and Sanguuniang Kabataan kagawads of the city..
He added that scholars of the city government were only required to pay P300 for each semester.
Samaco said the Limasawa Development and Economic Foundation, a non-government organization has also been paying for the scholarship of 20 students for the past two years.
  
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