Environmental group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) urged the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to cease all mining operations in Mindanao and assess the stability of the areas after being struck by two strong earthquakes in the past two weeks.
“With the recent magnitude 6.6 quake in Cotabato affecting areas as far as Davao City and Iligan City, the structural and geological stability of mine areas and mine facilities must be clearly established by the MGB, so that the safety of communities around the mine sites are ensured,” the group stated in an Inquirer report.
The alliance expressed its concern on the areas in South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, and Sultan Kudarat, covered by the Tampakan Copper-Gold Mining Project by the Sagittarius Mines Inc. that suffered serious damage from the two quakes.
“ATM believes that the MGB should prioritize first a geologic assessment review before promoting additional mining projects in the region. Without this geologic assessment, the Tampakan mining project must continue to be shelved. It is also in the interest of the mining companies and their operators that the safety and welfare of both their employees and communities around their mines are assured,” the group stated in the report.
