The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has ordered the closure of gold mining and processing operations in Santa Catalina town, for violating mining and environmental laws.
A report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer said Loreto Alburo, MGB director for Central Visayas, said the mining operations were illegal and violated Executive Order No. 79 issued by President Aquino.
Alburo said MGB officials attended a dialogue on Aug. 14 at the municipal hall with 60 of the mining operators led by Raul Lapu, town officials led by Mayor Nathaniel Electona, and village chief Abundio Amil Jr.
The regional MGB found workers using mercury, which is banned by EO 79, the report said.
He said the mines on at least 500 hectares in three communities in Santa Catalina were also found to be using rod mills without permits.
In the meeting, the mining operators were informed that there would be a closure order.
Amil said the barangay (village) had padlocked the rod mills in May but the operators forcibly opened these.
The MGB said it has also received a petition signed by over 100 residents of Sta. Catalina demanding a stop to the mining operations, saying that it was contaminating water sources, destroying mountains and “damaging forest resources.”
The report further said Eddie Llamedo, regional spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the DENR sought help in enforcing the MGB order from the military and police.
Llamedo said that once the mining operations were shut down, the MGB would conduct a detailed study of the area’s mining potential.
After the study, he said, the DENR would help small-scale miners acquire permits for the area to be declared as a “people’s small-scale mining area.”
“We will implement corrective measures there. We also want to help them. We will help them have a safe facility for small-scale mining,” he said.
Llamedo said EO 79 allows small-scale mining in areas declared as sites for “people’s mines.”
