The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced plans to construct a new six-kilometer road in Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, following the collapse of a portion of the national highway due to landslides caused by heavy rainfall. The damaged section in Sitio El Dulog has been impassable since February 13, 2026, disrupting traffic between Lake Sebu and Maitum, Sarangani. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon stated that the collapsed road is unsafe for use and emphasized the urgency of completing the new road within the year. However, the project faces a challenge as 1.1 kilometers of the proposed road encroaches on the ancestral domain of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs). The DPWH will coordinate with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to address the issue, ensuring compliance with the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process. Datu Dande Danyan, chairperson of the Taboli-Manobo S’daf Claimants Organization (TAMASCO), highlighted the difficulties faced by farmers in transporting crops and stressed the need for collective decision-making among IPs. Dizon assured that IPs will be compensated if their land is affected. Meanwhile, residents are using an alternate motorcycle-only road near the damaged highway. The landslides, reportedly exacerbated by commercial coal mining in the area, destroyed about 400 meters of the highway. Coal mining operations in Barangay Ned have been ongoing for three years, with coal operating contracts held by Daguma Agro Minerals Inc. (DAMI), Sultan Energy Philippines Corp. (SEPC), and Bonanza Energy Resources Inc. (BERI). These companies were acquired by San Miguel Corp. in 2010 but were later sold to an undisclosed third party in 2024. DAMI and SEPC officials declined to disclose the new owners. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
