President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed Executive Order No. 88, which strengthens the mandate of the National Task Force Diwalwal to ensure better governance, security, and environmental management in the Diwalwal Mineral Reservation Area (DMRA) in Davao de Oro.
Signed on July 4, 2025, EO 88 reconstitutes the inter-agency task force to lead efforts in overseeing all mining activities in the DMRA. DMRA being a gold-rich area long affected by informal mining operations and related ecological and security concerns.
The order designates the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the new chairperson of the task force. Other members include representatives from the Office of the President, and the secretaries of the Department of National Defense (DND), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
According to the order, the task force will handle and properly implement all government activities geared toward the rehabilitation and sustainable development of the Diwalwal area.
President Marcos stressed the need for a unified and sustained response to the long-standing issues in the DMRA. He called for all concerned government agencies and local government units (LGUs) within Davao de Oro province to extend their full support and cooperation with the task force.
The private sector was also encouraged to contribute to the task force’s goals.
The DMRA has long been a focus of national attention due to unregulated small-scale mining, environmental degradation, and intermittent conflict in the region.
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Photo Credit: PCO Website
