Copper Mining port ruins (Sulat Eastern Samar)

Growing up in a small town of San Julian Eastern Samar where community is geographically located along the coastline and modestly lurking along the cove of Sulat Eastern Samar and San Julian bay facing the vast Pacific Ocean is quite humbling. Those were the days when we were kids where we used to be amazed at seeing huge tankers docking along “Punta”. 

I can vividly remember how we find the solid honk of an approaching Ship amusing that we hear the ships horn not just signaling the other vessels around but also the children who regale at the view of a massive tanker.

My mom used to tell me that there were ship docking because it collects copper that were mined which I have not paid much attention back then until I noticed somewhere 1988 that I no longer see the port busy.

remains of the port

The copper mining activity was stopped due to environmental hazard. The way in which copper has been traditionally mined has resulted in the production of toxic waste and negative changes to the immediate mine environment and the consequence of the mining process have both acute and chronic effects on the geography, water, vegetation and biological life in the surrounding areas.

photo courtesy of  www.ryot.org mine tailings in a copper mining site in Burma

Some areas within Taft and Sulat Eastern Samar may have experienced the damage but the advantage of the early ceasing of the copper mining activity is now relished by the locales especially fishermen. 

Punta a Spanish term has been named to the port and for someone who is a nature lover like me will appreciate the rustic image of Punta’s ruins. During my vacation this July I tag along with me two of my friends with my old crappy bike to visit Punta for the first time which is roughly 17kms away from our town San Julian…

the bumpy trail

Oh by the way, back then we only use to see the tankers from San Julian’s shoreline to Punta’s shoreline which can be reached by boat for about 15 mins at a 10km distance.

the red dot is where Punta is located while A marks our town San Julian

Here we go....