Mining bureau rapped for allowing mining in landslide prone area

Davao tribal small scale miners in grave risk

By ROGER M. BALANZA

The government is pushing indigenous peoples into small scale mining in Compostela Valley to the valley of death, by identifying mining sites for them that have a history of deadly landslides.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has recommended two mining sites as Minahan ng Bayan (People’s Mining) in Barangay Napnapan in Pantukan municipality for tribal natives.

But Governor Arturo Uy said the mine sites Purok Mangispis and Sitio Pulang Lupa are landslide-prone, and had already claimed at least 25 lives.

Uy wondered why MGB made the recommendation after the agency ordered the closure of all mine tunnels there after landslides hit the area in May 2009. The tragedy had prompted Gov. Uy to order the total stop in mining operations as government probed risk to life of small scale miners.

The governor said he would ask the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board to study the MGB recommendation and may oppose declaration of the two mine sites for people’s mining to save lives of indigenous peoples.

Noel Angeles, MGB Davao Region officer-in-charge, said findings of an MGB technical team has declared as safe to operate 23 mine tunnels in Purok Mangapispis and 17 in Sitio Pulang Lupa. One tunnel operator whose site was declared as critical has been forced to stop operation, after the ocular inspection by the technical team.

Angeles said the MGB recommendation to open Mangispis and Pulang Lupa, a traditional mine site for tribal natives of the Mansaka and Mandaya tribes since the early 80s, is supported by findings of safety and in line with government program to support small scale mining to enhance economic growth in the countryside and provide employment for indigenous peoples.