House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima has called on Congress to investigate alleged illegal exploration activities by Woggle Corporation in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, and to also review the validity of its exploration permit issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR–MGB).
In House Resolution No. 413 filed Monday, De Lima urged the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight and legislative powers to determine whether mining and environmental laws are being properly enforced to safeguard affected communities and ensure accountability among government and private entities, as reported by Nueva Vizcaya News.
“There is a pressing need for the House of Representatives to ascertain whether the implementation of existing environmental, mining, and local governance laws ensures full compliance with environmental safeguards, protection of affected communities, and accountability of concerned government agencies and private entities,” De Lima said in her resolution.
In August 2025, the DENR–MGB granted Woggle Corporation— an affiliate of FCF Minerals Corporation—a 3,100-hectare exploration permit in Dupax del Norte targeting gold and copper deposits. Local residents and advocacy groups, however, raised opposition. They cite illegal tree uprooting, lack of prior consultation, and failure to secure consent from landowners and indigenous peoples.
Former Nueva Vizcaya Governor Ruth Padilla personally delivered to De Lima’s office documents showing the community’s opposition, prompting the lawmaker to promise a formal legislative inquiry so that residents’ concerns could be heard.
Village councils in Barangays Oyao, Bitnong, Inaban, and Munguia passed resolutions opposing the project and calling for the cancellation of Woggle’s permit. On August 18, the provincial board of Nueva Vizcaya adopted Resolution No. 2025-5734 asking the DENR–MGB to revoke the exploration license for alleged environmental and procedural violations.
Protests by residents, religious leaders, and environmental groups soon followed. On October 10, 2025, the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 in Bayombong issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in favor of Woggle Corporation, barring residents from maintaining barricades on access roads to the exploration site. The TRO, later extended to October 30, also directed the Philippine National Police to enforce the order.
“It is the right of Novo Vizcayanos to push back against illegal mining that destroys their communities and livelihoods. They should not be silenced in asserting their rights,” De Lima said. “No amount of profit can replace the lives and livelihoods of affected communities.”
House Resolution No. 413 seeks to review Woggle Corporation’s permit, evaluate the enforcement of environmental laws, and propose measures to strengthen oversight and promote responsible resource management.
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