Nicua mining admits they are buying farmlands in MacArthur, Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY – “We need to operate that is why we need to buy farm lands,” this was the answer of Nicua Mining Corporation Vice President Alex Deleoz when asked on report that they have been buying farm lands on areas of their operation covering two villages in the municipality of MacArthur.

But based on the presentation of Nicua to the members of the provincial board of Leyte, they revealed that their operation covers three barangays in the municipality and some areas in the municipality of Javier.

“But if they need to buy it back after our operation we are always open,” Deleoz said in an interview.

Deleoz explained that they have a proposal with the land owners that they can buy back the properties once the operation ended or the owners will sell their lands out right.

About 40 to 50 hectares of farm lands were already bought by the mining firm as revealed by Deleoz when asked by Leyte Second District Board Member Anlie Apostol.

Apostol ,when asked to comment on the information from Deleoz, said that it was quite alarming as it may contradict with national laws like the Agrarian Reform Law for most of the land they had bought were rice fields.

She added that with the current trend that Nicua is doing by buying rice lands, they are worried whether the rehabilitation process of the mined lands will be implemented as said lands are already owned by the mining firms.

“Their reason was hindi kami nagtatanim… marami na ang nasasagasaan, ang sa amin, they already have the issue on commercial mining pansinin nyo naman ito and let’s talk with everybody,” said Apostol.

Apostol added that the mining firm should be conscious on the effects that their operation once the rehabilitation process is not implemented immediately as this will not just affect the farmers concerned but the entire province for most of the affected areas are farm lands.

Apostol added that with the on-going operation of the Nicua in MacArthur, some government agencies like the National Irrigation Administration had already aired their complaints as the irrigation facilities that they provided for the farmers got affected. (ROEL AMAZONA)