Davao de Oro Governor Raul Mabanglo has ordered the immediate suspension of all mining operations in the province following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the Davao region on Friday, October 10.
Under Memorandum Order No. 0155, Series of 2025, the suspension covers both small-scale and large-scale mining activities and takes effect immediately as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of workers and nearby communities, as reported by Manila Bulletin.
“The suspension was necessary as aftershocks may continue for days or weeks, which could pose serious risks,” Mabanglo said during a press briefing of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) on Friday evening.
Provincial authorities have instructed all municipal local government units and concerned agencies to coordinate with mining stakeholders in enforcing the suspension order. The halt will remain in effect until the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) complete their inspections and declare the areas safe for operations.
As of 10 p.m. Friday, PDRRMO chief Randy Loy reported three fatalities and ten injuries in Barangay Kingking, Pantukan, after a landslide struck miners who were outside their tunnels during the quake. No residential structures were damaged.
Pantukan’s gold rush zones have a long history of fatal landslides, often caused by heavy rainfall and unsafe mining conditions. Over the years, hundreds of miners have been killed or gone missing in such incidents, prompting authorities to declare several parts of the municipality as no-habitation zones due to high landslide risk.
MGB Davao Regional Director Beverly Brebante said assessment teams have already been deployed to evaluate the stability of mining sites in Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental, both of which have been classified as critical areas prone to landslides.
Governor Mabanglo added that the provincial government is working closely with national agencies to carry out post-earthquake hazard mapping and coordinate response efforts. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Davao region assured that miners and affected families will receive support under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
The province of Davao de Oro hosts an estimated 5,000 small-scale miners, particularly in the towns of Pantukan, Maco, and Monkayo—now under close government monitoring following the earthquake.
With the suspension order in place, the local government underscored that protecting lives must take precedence over profit until safety in mining areas can be fully assured.
Do you think Davao de Oro’s suspension order should set a precedent for stronger safety protocols in the country’s mining sector?
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