The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park (MGGNP) has unanimously approved a resolution expressing ‘grave concern’ over the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC) and other mining applications and tenements on Sibuyan Island.
The park body joins a strong public pushback against government approval of mining activities at this critical biodiversity area.
The PAMB said the resolution reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the ecological integrity of Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park and preserving the natural heritage of Sibuyan Island, which has been at the center of growing opposition to mining activities, particularly the operations of APMC, which holds MPSA No. 304-2009-IVB covering about 1,580 hectares in San Fernando town.
The PAMB resolution was approved during the board’s third-quarter en banc meeting on Wednesday (July 29), at the Cajidiocan National High School in Romblon’s Cajidiocan town at Sibuyan Island, according to the municipality’s Public Information Office.
The meeting was attended by Cajidiocan Mayor Marvin Ramos, Magdiwang Mayor Noel Joseph Machon, San Fernando Mayor Fernando Marin, members of the PAMB, officials of the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), and representatives of partner government agencies.
The board also approved measures authorizing the collection of fees for certifications and clearances issued by the PAMB and allocating a 500-square-meter portion of the Protected Area Management Office compound for the proposed construction of a tourist rest area and a mini-museum for the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park.
Protected Area Superintendent Joybert Mijares also presented updates on the implementation of conservation programs, the financial status of the Integrated Protected Area Fund from January to June 2026, and reports on illegal forest activities in the 17 barangays covered by the protected area.
Several enforcement operations were staged against illegal logging and the transport of unlawfully cut timber and other forest products in the municipalities of Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, and San Fernando, she said