Small-scale miners from the gold-rich town of Pantukan, Compostela Valley cried foul to the latest move of large-scale mining company National Development Corporation (Nadecor) which allegedly put up a steel gate and told them to get an identification card from the mining regulatory agencies of the government.
Small-scale miners and peasants in this town have been up in arms against the no-habitation policy, saying it displaced and deprived them of their livelihood. They reckoned, the move is in favor of big and foreign mining capitalists.
With the number of mining firms under exploration concessions, gold, nickel and copper in the rocky mountains of Davao region continue to be up for grabs. But government earnings from the excise taxes paid by mining firms are small.
By MARILOU AGUIRRE-TUBURAN
By JOHN RIZLE SALIGUMBA
Small-scale miners grapple with the impact of landslides and the government’s demolition order.
DISCUSSION. A liaison officer from the local government discusses with the leader of the small-scale miners the mechanics of distributing…
SEARCHING. Small-scale miners try to remove debris and mound of soil that swallowed 50 bunkhouses, hoping to retrieve…
WAITING. Small-scale miners wait for the advice to continue the retrieval operation. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel Hernani)
MORE BODIES. In the morning of January 7, three dead bodies were found, right before the retrieval operation was stopped…
VOLUNTEER. A member of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) rests and takes fresh air at a higher and safer…
