Environmental and religious groups, as well as various organizations in Marinduque, are seeking help from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the release of the $100 million rehabilitation fund from Marcopper mine disaster settlement.
This is in relation to the 2025 settlement agreement entered into by the people of Marinduque and Canadian firm Barrick Gold.
Barrick Gold is obligated to pay $100 million after it acquired the Placer Dome – the Canadian company that used to run the mining operations in Sta. Cruz town, along with Marcopper Mining Corporation.
The mining disaster on March 24, 1996 resulted in the massive pollution of the province’s rivers and potable water. More than a thousand protesters staged a public demonstration on Monday (Sept. 28) to demand the DENR’s release of the communication of clearance.
According to the Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC), the document is necessary for the release of the rehabilitation fund.
‘The province is racing against a deadline set on October 4, 2026,’ Elizabeth Manggol, executive secretary of MACEC said, referring to the settlement deadline.
She explained that the fund could be compromised if the DENR will to issue the document by next week.
The group said Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Cesar Odi vowed to personally submit the petition to DENR Acting Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna on Tuesday.