MARINDUQUE'S TROUBLES 5 (GASAN)

TROUBLES ON MY ISLAND 5 (IN OLD GASAN)

More than a decade ago, the discovery of black marble in the hills of sitio Talao, barangay Tiguion, Gasan created quite a stir, especially among the villagers living there. Mining as an industry offered a new source of income for the marginal farmers in the area. An enterprising businessman was encouraged initially by the support expressed by the residents there. Soon, prototypes of marble products, not unlike those produced in Romblon were displayed in municipal trade fairs. They were from Tiguion.

But the excitement was shortlived. Not everyone was pleased with the small-scale mining prospects as some residents sensed possible uncontrolled degradation of their environment. A few also expressed apprehension about possible danger not only to their lives and property but how this could possibly come about could not be thoroughly explained by the residents.
The barangay captain decided to start discussions on whether or not the small-scale mining operation would be beneficial to the community in the long run. This initiative led to the barangay's issuance of appropriate resolutions addressed to higher authorities that almost soon after they were received, in 1994, operation of the mine was halted. And their quiet life went on as before.

Then the following year in a rainless, quiet night in October reisdents were roused from sleep by an incredibly loud crashing noise. They described it as 'like a muffled roar of thunder accompanied by the sound of rocks rolling beneath the earth." Early the next morning they trooped to the direction of the noise and were shocked by the speactacle that greeted them. It was as if some unknown natural force played a trick around the spot where the cut marble stones were scattered just a year before.

Part of the Talao mountain 40 feet high, stretching 150 feet across with a width of some 15 feet was no longer there and appeared to have been completely gobbled up by the earth below. Enormous cracks pointing to different directions appeared on the leveled surface. The residents gasped in awe and reverence at the spectale wondering whether it was a sign from heaven that theyprayed till their fears were allayed.

A month after this episodea landslide occured on the same spot sending huge boulders rolling down to cover the telltale depression. Whether or not the phenomenon was caused by an active fault line traversing the mountainous part of barangays Dawis, Tabionan and Tiguion the residents of Talao never came to know and were just left to consult the spirits of the mountains for their own interpretation of these occurences.

If the authorities concerned ever made an investigation of the incident, the barangay residents were apparently kept in the dark. Or perhaps, concerns affecting the poor barangay dwellers are hardly given attention as are often the case on this island. For most politicians their constituents' relevance has to do simply with electoral statistics.

These mountainous part of Gasan are also among many eroded areas threatened by further deterioration. Land-use statistics show that there are 140 hectares of severely eroded areas consisting of deep ravines and ridges. Surface run-offs have affected Gasan's four rivers in Dawis, Matandang Gasan, Tiguion and Libtangin that get easily inundated after a brief, heavy downpour.