The provincial government of South Cotabato has deployed mining inspectors in two hinterland villages in Tboli town due to the emergence of illegal small-scale gold mining activities there.
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said Monday the provincial government has not issued any permit for the reported mining activities in portions of Barangays Basag and Maan, Tboli.
“They don’t have any permit so definitely we will apprehend them,” the governor said in his weekly press conference.
The Provincial Environment and Management Office (PEMO) confirmed the illegal mining activities in the two barangays, which reportedly hosts gold deposits.
Gold mining operations had been thriving in two other barangays of Tboli, Kematu and Desawo, which are part of a declared Minahang Bayan or people’s small-scale mining areas.
Minahang Bayan areas are where small-scale miners can operate legally, enabling the government to better monitor and regulate their extractive activities while helping promote the safety of these workers, protect the environment, and generate revenues for government.
Siegfred Flaviano, PEMO head, said they are closely monitoring the illegal mining activities in barangays Maan and Basag.
He said they found traces of illegal activities in recent inspections conducted by their personnel in the identified mining sites.
“These areas are among the (illegal mining) hotspots that we are currently monitoring,” the official said.
Flaviano said they deputized mining inspectors from the municipal government of Tboli to help monitor and identify those behind the illegal activities.
Tamayo said the involved miners and stakeholders have the option to seek the area’s declaration as another Minahang Bayan.
But he said such move would need to undergo proper processes, especially consultations with local residents, who are mostly from Tboli and Blaan tribes.
“If they would opt for that later on, why not? But right now they don’t have any permit to mine the area,” Tamayo said.
Flaviano said the mining sites are part of the areas identified for the proposed exploration activities of mining firm 88 Kiamba Mining and Development Corporation.
He said the company, which is currently working on the issuance of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the area’s indigenous people’s communities, is reportedly eyeing a large-scale mining operation in the two barangays.
“It’s still in the early stage because they are only in the process of applying for exploration permit,” he said.
The company would still need endorsements later on from the barangay, municipal and provincial governments if the exploration activities would yield viable results for its planned large-scale mining operation.
Records from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Region 12 had listed businessman Mohamad Aquia as the president of 88 Kiamba Mining and Development Corporation.
Aquia, who is a resident of Kiamba town in Sarangani, is a former head of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group-Mindanao. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)
