And so begins her countdown. So I always pray for our flight not to take long to land because it might worry my mom so much and cause a spike in her blood pressure. These days, however, it is almost unlikely that your plane lands on time. Air traffic congestion.

Just last Sunday, our plane took another thirty minutes over the vicinity of Batangas and Cavite before being given the clearance to land. My mom would be freaking out by now, I was thinking. And along with her a dozen or so people in the flight as well due to the air turbulence we were also experiencing.

We landed safely, thanks to our competent PAL pilots and the excellent quality of their planes.

Thanks to the mining industry, of course.

From the box kite to that fateful day when the Wright brothers “made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft on December 17, 1903, four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina” to the modern aircrafts we now enjoy, contributions of the mining industry to aviation are invaluable and indispensable.

The same goes for advances in Science, communication, education and health.

To point this out to the rabid anti-mining advocates will bring out a profusion of “Do you want clean air to breathe?” “Do you want safe food on your table?” “How about potable water?” “Do you want your children to enjoy forests?”

Like all the sufferings in the world were brought on by the mining industry.

A HANDFUL (emphasis mine) of protesters is asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stop Nickel Asia Corporation from disposing its stockpile in Manicani Island, insisting that majority of residents is against it and that they want NAC out for causing suffering to the environment and its people.

For the secretary to act upon the whims of this HANDFUL (again, emphasis is mine) of protesters is unjust.

Majority of residents in Manicani is FOR the disposition of the stockpile as it brings employment to the island and employment means three meals in a day for their families.

Maybe even five counting the humble merienda in between main meals.

To tell these people to just stick to fishing when fishing has become less and less viable is to deprive the islanders of a better life.

Man cannot live on sashimi alone.

Are these protesters expecting a repeat of the miracle of the loaves and two fishes?

Sometimes we only pray for small miracles in our lives. Times like this, the only miracle I could ask for is compassion.

Meanwhile, my mom will have to pray some more because there will be more visits to Manicani to tell the story of the real sufferings of the islanders.

And then a quote I read somewhere comes to mind. Something about Satan being a fisher of men and that his nets are full, too.