INDIGENOUS peoples and local landowners in Barangay Macambol in Mati City, Davao Oriental, have maintained their community barricade, continuing a weeks-long stand against Hallmark Mining Corporation to demand direct dialogue over operational and governance concerns.
In video footage posted on Facebook around 7 a.m. on Friday, August 14, demonstrators identified as local landowners and indigenous residents were seen holding their ground at the protest site as mine workers stood stranded at the barricade line.
Large tarpaulins hung along the barricade line read: "GUSTO namo ang MINA. DILI ang ilang SISTEMA" (We want mining, not their system), "HMC/AUSTRAL MINING PAMINAWA ug atimana ang mga TAWONG lumolopyo niining lugara—dili LAMANG ang mga tawo nga inyong MADALA!” (HMC/Austral Mining, listen to and take care of the actual residents of this place — not just the people you can control!), and "MAG-DAYALOGO KITA!" (Let us have a dialogue!).
Barangay Councilor Errol Aquino said in an interview on Thursday, August 13, that the barricade reflects the community’s growing frustration over what they describe as a lack of open communication.
"Simple lang naman: why can't you just talk about it on one table?" Aquino said. "Hindi kami anti sa mina... anti sila diyan sa sistema at kung anong ginagawa sa amin for 25 years."
Aquino claimed that formal communications sent by the community and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) requesting talks have consistently gone unreceived or ignored by company representatives.
"All we are asking for is a dialogue — nothing more, nothing less. This is about justice, fairness, and the future of the entire community," Aquino added.
The sustained blockade follows the Provincial Board of Davao Oriental's unanimous decision in February 2026 to revoke provincial support and endorsement for the mining operations of Hallmark Mining Corporation and Austral-Asia Link Mining Corporation.
While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB XI) maintains that the firm's Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) remains valid through June 2029, protesting residents say they will remain at the site until company executives sit down for formal talks. Hallmark Mining Corporation has not issued an official response to the barricade as of writing. GRS
