DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 February) – Environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) urged the government Thursday to order the stoppage of all mining operations in Barangay Masara, Maco in Davao de Oro and in other similar critical areas that are prone to geological hazards.
In a statement released on Thursday, Atty. Mark Peñalver, IDIS executive director, said the landslide tragedy last February 6, which left 85 persons dead, 32 injured and 38 others still missing as of Wednesday evening, raised concerns about the safety and environmental consequences of the operations of the mining companies.
Although the area affected was reportedly outside the active mining site of Apex Mining Co., Inc., Peñalver maintained that it is crucial to acknowledge “the wider context of environmental hazards linked to the mining operations of Apex, regardless of their direct role in the Masara landslide.”
He said that there is no order directing the company to suspend its operations, but added that the continuous operation “is extremely questionable given the very high susceptibility of the area to hazards.”
“Apex exemplifies a mining corporation that may seem to adhere to regulations on documents but falls short in actual implementation,” he alleged.
He said the company apparently disregarded the hazards and even constructed its bus terminal in an area that was officially designated as “no build zone.”
He said the operations of Apex involve underground mining, which could disrupt the “stability of rock and soil layers” and increase the likelihood of landslides.
“Unstable regions, particularly on very steep terrains such as Masara, are more prone to such hazards,” he said.
Peñalver, a rights-based lawyer, said it is “outrageous” that its host community gets a measly one percent share of the company’s profits, considering the enormity of the human and environmental impacts of mining operations.
“Financial recompense is inadequate in the face of disasters like the recent landslide in Masara, which killed 85 people as of (Wednesday, February 14),” he said.
Peñalver urged the local government units to assert their authority in strictly enforcing the construction of structures and prohibiting the expansion of mining facilities and tenements in areas declared as “no build zones” to protect the locals from geological hazards.
Citing the 2021 Report on Economic Assessment and Ore Reserve Estimation of Maco Epithermal Gold Deposits commissioned by Apex Mining, Peñalver said that areas in Davao de Oro are susceptible to hazards like landslides.
He said based on Modified Corona’s Classification System, the province was classified as Type IV because it experiences rainfall year-round, the heaviest during monsoon season from November to February.
“This classification highlights the increased likelihood of slope instability and erosion in the area. With these conditions, landslide risk is set to escalate with climate change and continuous activities in the area,” he said.
He added that the presence of prominent fault lineation, straddling several areas in the province including Barangay Masara, increases the possibility of slope instability.
Peñalver said the existence of fault line explains the province’s “high to very high” susceptibility to geological hazards based on the findings of the Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Davao.
The MBG-Davao declared Barangay Masara as a critical area and “no build zone” after a landslide incident in 2008.
“The decision was motivated by a persistent pattern of landslides going back to 2007, which led to recorded fatalities. There is a high probability that there were more landslide occurrences, however, they were not documented since there were no deaths reported,” he said.
Peñalver added that the catastrophe could have been avoided had the MGB-Davao and other relevant agencies performed their duties of monitoring and assessing the operations of the mining company. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
