Southern Leyte Gold Rush!

TACLOBAN CITY — The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Eastern Visayas has confirmed illegal gold mining operations in Southern Leyte.

MGB Regional Director Roger De Dios said their fact finding teams reported off-shore and near-shore gold mining operations in the towns of San Ricardo and Saint Bernard.

De Dios was concerned about these operations because they could lead to fish and coral poisoning in the surrounding fishing communities.

The Southern Leyte Times had written several front page articles about the Illegal mining in San Ricardo. SLT was informed by Vice Governor Mike Maamo last year that the seven small mining groups there had ceased their operations. However if Director De Dios new reports are confirmed the illegal activities have started again.

In our last report on the mining operations in San Ricardo, SLT mentioned that the newspaper’s reporters were invited by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office to the off-shore mining sites in San Ricardo about a year ago which wanted to legalize the operations because they said it provided a good source of income and livelihood for the local residents there. SLT reporters declined the invitation because they knew the near-shore and off-shore mining operations were illegal.

SLT advised the PENRMO in an article that if the provincial board approved its planned request and the governor approved it. They might find themselves violating the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

MGB’s De Dios however revealed that they could not impose sanctions against the gold miners because their line functions had already been devolved to local governments as mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991. “All we can do now,” he said “is to request the provincial governor of Southern Leyte and the town mayors of Saint Bernard and San Ricardo to help stop these illegal activities in their jurisdictions. 

He added that illegal gold mining in Southern Leyte has been going on for more than 30 years.(By WOWIE REYES)

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