Monday, March 06, 2006
Mining activities in T'boli town stopped
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Provincial Government of South Cotabato recently ordered the temporary closure of all small scale mining operations in the gold rush village of Barangay Kematu in T'boli town.
The order came amid fears of a possible landslide to occur in the area.
In a joint stoppage order dated February 24, the Provincial Mines and Regulatory Board and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in the Soccsksargen region warned that the entire gold rush area is now "in a precarious state" due to the onslaught of heavy rains and the existence of three-meter wide cracks in the mountains hosting the mine tunnels.
"In the interest of public safety, all mining operations in Kematu gold rush are hereby temporarily stopped. All occupants of shanties within the affected areas are strongly advised to transfer to safer grounds the soonest possible time," the order signed by South Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes and mines bureau Director Jose Madrona stated.
The stoppage order was enforced Wednesday last week, a day after a dialogue was held among the Provincial Government, residents, and small-scale miners led by the T'boli Minahang Bayan Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
The cooperative initially protested the issuance of the stoppage order due to serious concerns about the livelihood of the area's mine workers and their families.
Esther Daquil, the cooperative's chair, said the order would affect at least two major small-scale mining cooperatives in the area that provide livelihood at least 5,000 residents.
"It would be a tragedy, should all these people be evicted from their dwelling places and their sources of livelihood be curtailed even for a very short period," she said in a letter addressed to the Provincial Government dated February 25.
But Fuentes said the miners and residents, who had threatened to launch protest actions at the provincial capitol, relented and agreed to cooperate with the Provincial Government during the dialogue last Tuesday.
She said the area's condition is getting worse due to the continuing rains since last month that could have been the initial effects of the La Niña Phenomenon foreseen to hit the country in the coming months. (Allen V. Estabillo)
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(March 6, 2006 issue)
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