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Letter from Batangas
The little town that could: How eco-activists in the Philippines said ‘no’ to smelting plant
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In 1977, residents of San Juan town in Batangas, the Philippines, resisted the government's plan to build a copper smelting plant on their land.
PHOTO: JUAN MIGUEL MARASIGAN
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BATANGAS – It is hard to imagine San Juan’s coastline as anything other than a perfect oasis of white, sandy beaches, crystal clear water and crisp sea air.
Things might have turned out very differently in this bustling town in Batangas province, a three-hour drive about 130km south of the capital of Manila.
