DENR Orders Probe On Cagayan Valley Illegal Mining, Logging
CAGAYAN VALLEY – The DENR was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to probe illegal mining and logging activities in Cagayan Valley.
The order followed after the flooding in the region due to Typhoon Ulysses, according to a report from CNN Philippines.
President Duterte recently held a meeting in the region’s provincial capital Tuguegarao City to assess the effect of the typhoon.
He added that the government is working to prevent another disaster by intensifying forest protection efforts against illegal logging and mining, adding that the said activities produce holes that loosens the soil and pose a threat to residents in the area.
“Let us see, as I have said, it props up every now and then, I will direct here General Cimatu to look into the illegal mining, especially where the people are building their shelters downwards,”
The president also told Cimatu that if there is no chance to fully stop the said activities in the area, then they should find a way to place homes in a safer area.
The DENR chief added that they have issued cease-and-desist orders against small-scale mining operations. He also added that the 10 people who died in landslides were working in illegal mining sites.
“There’s no mining area given permit, sir. Illegal mining po itong mga lugar ‘yung namatay. So we have filed cases already and cease and desist order for these crooked people,”
Residents in the region were surprised when massive floods hit their province during the wrath of Typhoon Ulysses. Floodwater has reached over 13 meters high in some areas. This has left thousands of residents stranded and desperate for rescue.
Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba said that the floods in the province was not due to the spilling from the Magat Dam alone, but also from the “denudation of forests” and “siltation of rivers”, based on the report. This requires long-term solutions.
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