VERDE ISLAND AND THE

INDUSTRIAL ZONE
Position Paper on Social Science 4

Feaid Aina B. Ornedo

10 - Photon
 Verde Island is known to be the “center of the center of marine biodiversity”, it should be
well preserved. One of the major steps to do it is to minimize the effect, or possibly eradicate, the
industrialization around it. These two industrialized companies are the JG Summit Petrochemical
Corporation and Mindoro Resources Limited (MRL) Gold. These are power plant and mining
company, respectively. Having these around the passage can cause harm to both the biodiversity
and health of the island’s inhabitants.

These industries that surround the island passage has been a problem since 2015. JG
Summit Petrochemical Corporation (JGSPC), part of the JG Summit Petrochemical Group
(JGSPG) and one of the subsidiaries of JG Summit Holdings, Inc (JGSHI) in Brgy. Simlong,
Batangas City (JGSPG, n.d.), has been issued by a notice of violation due to the “spewing a
nauseous stench and clouds of smoke” (Ranada, 2015). Mindoro Resources Limited (MRL)
Gold, on the other hand, a Canadian-owned mining company under the MRL, instills large-scale
mining by the area near the island, specifically in the municipality of Lobo in the province of
Batangas. With this issue that prevails until now, it can affect both the biodiversity—“a
staggering 1,736 marine species, including many globally threatened ones, in just a small section
of the area” (Dulce, 2015)—and people, especially to those who live near or in the Verde Island.
With the presence of the JGSPC, the gas and the particulates that it emits give threat to the health
of the every living organism affected by such since this emission is composed of lead and sulfur
oxide (Ranada, 2013) and also, “the city’s 325,000 residents and the remaining farmlands and
fisheries in their semi-rural environs are bombarded by the industrial zone pollutants on a daily
basis” (Dulce, 2015). In terms of the concerns regarding the MRL Gold, the mine tailings and
toxic substances like cyanide—used in order to extract the gold that is being dig by the miners—
that may become water pollutants so when ingested, it can affect the health of organism such as
humans. Due to these dangers brought by these surrounding industries, inhabitants within and
beyond the Verde Island formed parties against these movements which are composed not only
by ordinary people but also by the church officials and professionals—the Coalition for the
Preservation of the Verde Island Passage and Bukluran para sa Inang Kalikasan (BuKal). Aside
from that, people already have the power to raise concerns regarding the effects of this industrial
zone. With the aforementioned parties and power of the people, they both heavily influence the
people and negotiate with the authorities when there are concerns. Some of these concerns is the
alleged effects of the existing naphtha cracker flare (Manalo, 2017) wherein residents are
becoming ill and dying because of the aforementioned cause and as a result is the non-issuance
of environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to JGSPG, therefore no expansion will happen
(Pa-a, 2017). Government officials became more vigilant regarding this issue due to the
increased claim of both morbidity and mortality. If the issue regarding the expansion of JGSPG
is being currently addressed, the one regarding the MRL Gold is not yet being moved. Despite
the nationwide advocacy regarding mining, this corporation still stays and continue the job in
Lobo, Batangas. Aside from that, JG Summit is still nearby the vicinities of the Verde Island,
making the island still exposed to the hazards the industrial zone may possess.

In order to preserve the wellness of Verde Island, these are the suggested options—
shutting down the whole industrial zone, elimination of the MRL Gold operations within or
nearby the vicinity of the Verde Island, or temporary shutdown of JGSPG prior to displacement
of it to another vicinity. Shutting down the whole industrial zone will completely start the
eradication of such. The remains of these industries may then be progressively cleaned up. In
terms of implementing this option, the industries will just be issued by a notice regarding its
shutting down. Unfortunately, despite its easy execution, the response from the industries may be
something like bring this kind of issuance to the court or to any higher form of political body.
There may be hearings that may happen which will turn out to be costly depending on the
disagreement that will be imposed by both the industrial side and the government side who
issued this shutdown. On the other hand, eliminating the MRL Gold operations within or nearby
the vicinity of the Verde Island means that every piece of mining site and operation should be
stopped. There should be a notice or a law that will strictly forbid mining when marine
biodiversity will possibly be affected, just like Verde Island. When a mining site is the waters,
these waters can be easily contaminated, thus affecting those organisms that may ingest it.
Mining cannot be fully eradicated because people have necessities that need to be driven from
this industry so this option is the least that can be done. Lastly, temporary closure of JGSPG may
possibly be a huge opportunity for the people in and/or nearby the Verde Island to partially
eradicate the pollutants affecting it. Since JGSPG is powering up a coal power plant, it is
currently not advisable to shut it down permanently since the energy and electricity generated
from it is actually beneficial but apparently, not to the environment. So in order to bring back the
power of this industry, there may be a displacement of the JGSPG to a place that may be away
from too much biodiversity and inhabitants whose health are heavily affected. The options
mentioned are one of those big steps that may bring back the cleanliness of the island. The main
challenge of these options is to answer the question, “Where will the workers of these industries
go?” These people need sources of income to sustain whatever matters they consider in life. In
order to maintain the jobs, these people may have a temporary office job and the matters that
may be involved is regarding the adjustment after the issuance of elimination or closure. Here,
the workers may be given chance to decide, with the whole corporation, on how they will adjust
to pursue their tasks without harming much of the biodiversity and the inhabitants.

The best option of those aforementioned is the integration of the closure of both
industries. This will give a chance for a more pure rehabilitation of the island and after such
process, those people and biodiversity by and in the Verde Island will then be considered to
experience an almost pollution-free environment.
 References

Dulce, L. (2015) Protect the Verde Island Passage. Retrieved from

https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/issues/disasters/thought-leaders/95802-protect-verde-
island-passage?cp_rap_source=yml#cxrecs_s

Esmaquel, P. (2011). Canadian miners' plans alarm Batangas greens. Retrieved from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/210823/canadian-miners-plans-alarm-
batangas-greens/story/

JG Summit Petrochemicals Group (n.d.). JG Summit Petrochemicals Group. Retrieved from

https://jgspetrochem.com

Manalo, L. (2017). Residents raise health risks as Batangas Petrochem eyes expansion.
Retrieved from https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/18/residents-raise-health-risks-as-
batangas-petrochem-eyes-expansion/

Pa-a, S. (2017). No ECC, no plant expansion for JG Summit in Batangas. Retrieved from
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1016437

Ranada, P. (2013) Isla Verde: Garbage, pollution threaten world jewel. Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/39617-verde-island-passage-pollution

Ranada, P. (2015) Batangas opposes gold mine threatening Verde Island Passage. Retrieved
from https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/100236-batangas-opposes-
gold-mine-verde-island-passage#cxrecs_s

Ranada, P. (2015) JG Summit plant violated environmental regulations –DENR. Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/103109-jg-summit-plant-violated-
environmental-regulations-denr

Ranada, P. (2015). Notice of violation issued to JG Summit chemical plant. Retrieved from
https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/102709-notice-violation-jg-
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Ranada, P. (2015) 'Sickening' smoke rises from chemical plant near Verde Island Passage.
Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/102442-smoke-
flames-jg-summit-plant-batangas