A drone shot of the illegal mining site in Barangay Mat-i on Monday, January 27. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
MANILA, Philippines—Massive illegal mining operations that lasted for mere months left scars deeper than its brief operations in Surigao City, leaving residents and farmers in the dust—or in their case, silt and mud.
Known for its rich gold deposits, Surigao City and its villages have long witnessd mining and quarrying as paet of the livelihood of residents.
Article continues after this advertisementBut despite efforts to regulate these, illegal mining, allegedly operated by Chinese nationals, continues to wreak havoc on the environment of the city with the damage uncertain if still reparable.
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO Maslog camp to appeal Sandiganbayan guilty verdict NEWSINFO 2 anti-VP Duterte rallies set for same day, but difference arises NEWSINFO Hontiveros flags grant of PH citizenship to Chinese traderThe alleged Chinese-operated mines in Barangay Mabini began only in February 2024, and quickly expanded into its neighboring Barangay Mat-i by September.
With the massive operations, local authorities discovered that the mining was being operated without permits.
Article continues after this advertisementFollowing intervention by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Mat-i site was shut down in October and then the bigger one in Mabini in December.
Article continues after this advertisementDespite operating for only a few months, the combined effects of the mining were catastrophic.
Article continues after this advertisementAccording to Barangay Mat-i Captain Norberto Bruzon, the Mabini operation worsened flooding in the low-lying village.
“The Mabini mining site is higher in elevation, so whenever there’s heavy rain, all the mud and silt flow down to us,” said Bruzon in an interview with INQUIRER.net in Filipino, a mix of Tagalog and Surigaonon.
Article continues after this advertisement“We always inspected the mining sites when it was still operating, but the operators just claimed they were processing their permits,” he added.
Drone shots of the two sites reveal the scale of destruction it caused— massive open areas where natural vegetation disappeared as it was replaced by barren, muddy wasteland.
Said to have operated for only a month before receiving a cease and desist order, the massive scale of destruction tells a different story. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
Months after it was ordered to stop operations in October, the damage continues to lie exposed, continuing to affect residents, their farms and irrigation. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
The massive scale of destruction in Mat-i pales in comparison to what happened in the mining site in Barangay Mabini where large pools of mud and silt spread over a vast plot of land that was once painted green by vegetation—as seen on a drone shot taken on Monday, January 27. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
The damage happened in a span of only a few months, from February to December, 2024. | Photo by Arnel Tacson
The mining site is right next to the road leading to Barangay Mabini, as well as a nearby community—both of which are now threatened by potential floods and mudslides exacerbated by the mud-filled holes left by the illegal mining operations. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
While it was closed a few months later than the mining site in Barangay Mat-i, this site also continues to lie bare and exposed. Even a drone could not fly high enough to fully capture the extent of the damage. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
Lives UpendedAt the peak of the mining operations and even months after its closure, the consequences have been devastating for farmers of Barangay Mat-i.
The Mat-i Farmers Association, led by president Julito Cumanda, struggled to maintain their livelihood, especially after one of their primary irrigation sources, the Biga River, is now unusable after being reduced to a lifeless canal choked by silt and mud.
“Our dam, which cost P16 million to build, is now filled with mud,” said Cumanda.
“We used to catch fish there, but now it’s polluted. The Department of Agriculture told us the water is no longer safe for our crops. We’re left to rely on rainwater, but when summer comes, we’ll have no choice but to let our fields dry up,” he added.
The irrigation system that provided water to farmers in Barangay Mat-i was rendered unusable due to the effects of the illegal mining operations in the village. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
At least 10 hectares of farmland was directly affected by the dam siltation, said Pumanda, with over 20 farmers impacted by the murky irrigation.
Once the summer comes, Pumanda said many of the farmers may end up forced to give up farming entirely and will be forced to resort to—ironically—small-scale mining for survival, despite the risks and legal complications associated with it.
Landowners in Barangay Mabini were also impacted. Sixty-eight-year-old Jeronima Coloma, who once took pride in the land she owned in Mabini, now laments the loss of her property.
“They mined my land without even informing me,” she said tearfully.
“I received no compensation, no share of the profits, and now my land is useless. It’s like they stole everything from me,” she added.
According to Coloma, her land in Mabini was her only source of livelihood. It was where she tended a small farm to plant a variety of crops—all of which were suddenly taken away after the illegal mining operations took over.
The mining site in Mabini destroyed land whose owners were not even aware that their properties have been taken over by the illegal mining company. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
Further tollApart from its effects on residents’ livelihood and the catastrophic environmental damage, troubling reports of child labor were also reported in the mining sites.
Mat-i captain Morales himself confirmed that the provincial office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development was the first to inspect the mining operations after it was discovered that minors helped their parents in the mining sites, sifting through soil and washing gold-bearing sand.
“These children should be in school, not working in dangerous conditions,” he said.
Residents near the irrigation canals now also live in constant fear of flooding. Marielos Hamora, a 64-year-old resident, described how mudslides and clogged waterways exacerbate the problem during heavy rains.
“The canals are blocked, so when the rains come, the water overflows,” she said.
The irrigation system in Barangay Mat-i was right next to a sitio in the village. Residents are worried that the condition of the irrigation may exacerbate flooding in their village. | Photo by Arnel Tacson.
“If they don’t rehabilitate the area soon, more families will lose their homes and livelihood,” she added.
A Call for Accountability, the Cost of SilenceMonths said after its closure, both mining sites remain exposed even with operations now halted. Its aftermath is strikingly obvious to anyone passing through Barangays Mabini and Mat-i, while its effects continue to linger for those directly impacted.
Both Pumanda and Holoma said they tried to reach out to local authorities regarding the rehabilitation of the sites, but to no avail. Even as complaints continue to pile up, key government offices have remained silent.
INQUIRER.net reached out to Surigao City’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) and the MGB, but both offices refused to comment and declined interview invitations involving the illegal mining operations and their enforcement measures.
free online slot gamesINQUIRER.net is still seeking comments from Surigao City Mayor Pablo Dumlao II, as well as the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Caraga regarding actions already done to address the effects of the mining sites in Barangays Mat-i and Mabini.
The federal and state governments’ tax revenue reached a total of 86.2 billion euros ($93.54 billion) last month, according to the ministry’s monthly report.
Regardless, the local government’s actions—or the lack of it—have translated to residents as silence, leaving them feeling abandoned as they are now forced to find their own means to address the damage.
According to Pumanda, he himself tried to request help from the government to rehabilitate the irrigation, but no actions followed.
“They promised to clean up the mud and restore our irrigation, but nothing happened,” said Pumanda.
“Now we’re left with polluted water and no way to plant during the dry season,” he added.
He said he now intends to meet with the provincial National Irrigation Administration to seek assistance.
Other residents, meanwhile, started calling for stricter enforcement of mining laws, as well as more stringent evaluation of contractors applying to mine.
“The local government should think twice before approving any project that can harm its people,” said Pumanda.
“Public hearings should be mandatory before any mining operation is allowed to start. We cannot let this happen again,” he said.
As the now-abandoned mining sites continue to be exposed despite pleas from residents and farmers—the scars it left serve as a stark reminder of what happens when profit takes precedence over people and the environment.
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As the surrounding community continues to demand justice and government actionbetlead, their voices echo unanswered in the halls of local and national offices.
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