On a cloudy afternoon in Macambol, City of Mati, Davao Oriental, Antonio Engaston, 35, prepares his boat to sail out to sea, hoping to bring fish back home to his family of four. For years, Antonio, a resident of Barangay Lawigan, has sustained his livelihood through deep-sea fishing using a traditional device called “bobo,” a makeshift fish trap made of woven bamboo slats. He lowers his 4×3-meter traps into the seabed and retrieves them a week later, catching reef and offshore species like needlefish, big-eye scad, mudfish, catfish, tilapia, and crustaceans, which he sells for ₱150–₱200 per kilo. Lawigan is one of the coastal barangays surrounding Pujada Bay, recognized as one of the most beautiful bays in the world by Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde in 2020. However, Antonio fears the nickel mining project eight kilometers upstream will lead to soil runoff, turning coastal waters brown and reducing fish catches. He worries that heavy machinery in the mountains will render the once-abundant waters barren. Pujada Bay, a protected landscape and seascape, spans 20,873.43 hectares with rich coral, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems. Declared protected in 1994 by President Fidel V. Ramos, it is home to threatened species like whale sharks, dugongs, and turtles. Upstream, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, hosts nearly 1,400 species of flora and fauna. Sandwiched between these protected areas is the Pujada Nickel Project, operated by Hallmark Mining Corporation and Austral-Asia Link Mining Corporation under Asiaticus Management Corporation. The project, located in Barangay Macambol, has faced opposition from indigenous communities and environmental advocates. In 2016, then-Environment Secretary Gina Lopez suspended operations due to environmental risks, but her successor, Roy Cimatu, lifted the suspension in 2019. The mining method employed is strip/contour mining, which the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) insists is not open-pit mining. However, critics argue it still poses significant environmental and social impacts. In October 2023, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang called for the closure of the mining operations after a drone inspection revealed 200 hectares of deforested land. The provincial government filed a formal complaint with the DENR and the Office of the President, citing environmental risks and violations. The Mati City government and barangays have passed resolutions supporting the closure, echoed by civil society organizations and the Church. Fisherfolk and environmental advocates warn that mining runoff threatens Pujada Bay’s coral reefs and aquatic resources, with potential long-term damage to its ecosystems. Primo Solis, president of the Macambol Multi-Sectoral Association for Integral Development, emphasized that fisherfolk are already restricted from accessing fishing areas near the mining site. Antonio and others fear that continued mining will lead to contamination similar to the 2022 siltation incident in Banaybanay, which polluted rivers and harmed aquatic life. The Church and community leaders continue to advocate for a permanent ban on mining, stressing the need to protect the environment for future generations. This story, supported by Canal France International under the Media for One Health program, highlights the ongoing struggle to balance economic development with environmental preservation in Davao Oriental.
