Cong. Lord Allan Jay Velasco of the Lone District of Marinduque paid a courtesy call to the office of Sec. Roy Cimatu of the Department and Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on January 25, 2018. Congressman Velasco expressed his concern over the present condition of the structures left by Marcopper Mining Corporation in the province and the need to address the structural breaches in the mines and dams at the old mining site.
Twenty years after Marcopper Mining disaster, the structures still pose an immediate threat to the life and health of the residents of Marinduque. Velasco also brought up the rehabilitation of the affected areas.
Cimatu expressed his strong support towards the effort to rehabilitate and clean-up of the critical areas involved. He agreed to allocate the resources of DENR and to cooperate with the office of the congressman to address the situation.
In addition, Velasco discuss his advocacy for the development of bamboo industry in the province. He also expounded the benefits of bamboo to the environment and how it can help the people as a means of livelihood. Cimatu commended Velasco for his initiative with the 40@40 project (40,000 bamboo plants on Cong. LAV’s 40th year) and recognized the value of planting bamboo for a better environment. Cimatu gave his commitment to support said initiative through the National Greening Program.
Further, as chairman of the House Committee on Energy, Cong. Velasco requested the DENR secretary to look into the potential of Nipa as additional shore protection and marine sanctuary, aside from its potential as a source of biofuels feedstock. Cimatu appreciated the suggestion and expressed interest in the idea. –Marinduquenews.com
