Operation Goldfinger | Home | A majestic encounter

Isn't it even uglier to know that the Lafayette Mine is not the only mine in this country?

The Lafayette mine has been the "model mine" for years. When the mine spill happened, people from the mining industry, the pro-mining government agencies, and the foreign mining companies know very well that Lafayette was supposedly operating with "best practices in mining by Philippine standards". Lafayette was surely NOT.

Now, when you think of other mines existing in this country, which are logically inferior in terms of technology in operations, you realize that these mines are even more susceptible to "accidents".

Sadly, there are still mines which do not follow environmental remediation measures after operating and getting the gold out of the dig.

The philippine government should review its laws on mining, and not only that, but to make sure that these laws are strictly implemented.

dave albao
dave.albao@gmail.com

You are right about the picture of Filipino life being a "neverending struggle against hunger..." and also a neverending struggle against oppression from the hands of Fellow Filipinos who value love of money than love of country and of countrymen. And so you have neverending issues such as that of the Lafayette mine. But hope should not be lost as long as there are people or groups such as GP working against these vicious cycles.

dear mr. author,

my reaction why some of my fellow legazpeños are still in a neverending struggle with poverty & hunger. people in this part of the town failed to dream. they don't dream of better future, perhaps they dream but lack the will to make it real... it's a sad reality happening around.

firstly, let's start with these children's parents, i would ask them if is it alright for them to see their children go hungry for every day of their childhood lives? of course they would answer "no". then, what would they do when they see their children hungry? their answers are not clear, they just don't know... how did i know? as part of my studies, i have interacted with them for a year & a half. they all give almost the same answers.

as you have mentioned there were a lot of them (children) playing around, no wonder when their parents are keep on having children beyond their financial bounds, at some situation both parents don't have permanent jobs. the parents overlook the responsibilities accompanied in raising children. the macho culture of men in our country states that; "more children is proof of manhood, the more children you have the better man you are..." but as reality sinks in, the basic needs of these children are set aside. they don't have enough food, clothing & some of them don't go to school. so the next generation of poverty is in the making... soon those who didn't went to school or didn't finished school will soon marry young (marrying young increases the fertility rate, thus increasing the presumed number of children in a family) & the cycle of poverty goes on & on. these families don't have sustainable resources. it's not the children's fault to be born, but the parent's failure to be responsible. i know this is not only happening in legazpi but in the whole country and perhaps in all of 3rd world countries.

for years the gov't has been promoting family planning program. yet it lacks political will & coupled with the catholic church opposing the programs & labels family planning methods as "immoral". our countrymen are deeply religious & do as the church says, i still don't see an end to this problem. i hope the church will give a "moral" solution with the problem, but i don't think they will ever make this task lighter. i hope the solution comes soon & i'll be happy to be a part of it.

i felt lucky with my parents since they were they were responsible to prepare before they conceive us, they made our future promising. it is on our hands how we'll lead our future.

the face of legazpi you saw is not the whole story of legazpi. la fayette will always be there as long as the people are weak and fightless... removing la fayette will not change what you saw in our city. i love my country & my city, i wish change will start in each home...

you wrote something about a part of the city. you gave a portrait of a desprate situation. i don't think it's fair when you didn't even mentioned about the good things you saw within the city... i know you went to our school and didn't say something about it, admire the volcano or even what can you say about the visitors in esperanza. don't think i'm asking for it, it's just a comment. but i think it's good your telling the truth...

PS
sometimes in the near future, the people in harbour slum area will be relocated to the northeastern outskirts of the city to expand the city's port area... but what do you care? do you really care to know?