A massive offshore black sand mining project that will run for 25 years in Lingayen Gulf has stirred protests from local communities in Pangasinan province, describing it as an “environmental monster.” “God help Pangasinan!” exclaimed provincial board member Von Mark Mendoza after an official of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) informed provincial officials on Sept. 13 that the project’s proponent would extract 25 million metric tons of black sand yearly. “That much amount of sand to be taken from the environmentally critical gulf would mean devastation to the province, especially the second district which I represent,” Mendoza said during the question hour of the provincial board session last week.

Sotelo, Y. (2021, September 25). Pangasinan execs protest massive black sand mining in Lingayen Gulf. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A13.