Members of the Zamboanga Fearless Mountaineering Society, together wiith several other concerned organizations, have joined in a common protest against the encroachment of mining operations in the Ayala Watershed.
This came about after we learned of the sureptitious way by which the Rigid Aggregates Mining Corporation has managed to get permission from the Mines Bureau to operate in the area, obviously by bribing local officials into signing a no objection resolution in their favor.
The watershed in Ayala is only one of three remaining virgin forests in the country, and is the main source of water for the city of Zamboanga. What is worse is that the operation of mining in the Ayala district would cause soil erosion and siltation, and may be the cause of major landslides that would endanger residents in the west coast area of Zamboanga.
Mining operations will pollute our rivers, with mercury, affecting the sardine industry in the city, a major supplier of sardines to the European countries. If this happens, Europe might close down its importation of sardines from our country, thereby killing the livelihood of several thousands of Filipinos.
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