TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — The village chief of a small farming community defended black sand mining as its resumption in MacArthur town of Leyte, stirred heated debate among villagers. For 61-year-old Pepito Guimalan, chairperson of Barangay Maya in MacArthur town, mining is not just an environmental issue—it is livelihood. “Mining activity is not totally bad,” Guimalan said in an interview on Saturday, February 28, following renewed criticism on the planned resumption of operations in the area by MacArthur Iron Projects Corporation (MIPC), formerly MacArthur Ironsand Corporation. Barangay Maya, located about three kilometers from the town proper of MacArthur, sits on mineral-rich land known for magnetite […]... Keep on reading: Resumption of black sand mining in Leyte town stirs up debate