MANILA, Philippines — A militant fishers’ group on Thursday sounded the alarm over possible black sand (magnetite) mining behind the controversial dredging operations in Ilocos Sur’s Abra River, warning of worsening environmental damage and coastal erosion. In a statement, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) cited reports from local environmental alliance Defend Ilocos, which claimed that magnetite extraction was “rampant” in the province until 2016. “Pinangangambahan ng mga mangingisda at residente sa tabing-dagat na ang isinasagawang dredging ng IVMDC simula 2024 ay may kaakibat din na magnetite mining,” PAMALAKAYA national chairperson Fernando Hicap said, referring to the […]... Keep on reading: Fishers flag black sand extraction behind Abra River dredging