ENVIRONMENT SURVEILLANCE At least 16 people, five of them Chinese, were arrested on May 13 as authorities stopped an unauthorized mining operation that had damaged about 7 hectares of forest land in Opol, Misamis Oriental. A satellite image (lower right) led to the discovery of the site, alerting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). —PHOTO FROM DENR
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Satellite imagery played a crucial role in busting an illegal mining operation that destroyed more than 7 hectares of forests in Misamis Oriental province.
A composite team of personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Army’s 4th Infantry Division raided a mining site along the Iponan River in Opol town on May 13.
The operation led to the arrest of at least 16 people, five of them Chinese, and the seizure of equipment used in gold extraction activities that employed the sluicing method which is highly destructive to the land and brings heavy siltation to the river.
The mine site is located in the boundaries of Cauyunan and Nangcaon villages in Opol but it can be easily accessed through Barangay Pigsag-an in Cagayan de Oro City.
Lawyer Ban Mikhael Pacuribot, legal chief of DENR regional office in Northern Mindanao, identified the arrested foreigners as Mingshi Meng, Shen Chuangao, Pan Jiquan, Lou Jian Hui and Yuan Yin Lin. Also nabbed were locals Ariel Gasal, Rengie Baricuatro, Randy Salcedo, Ranold Paderan, Elmer Dagsaan, Manuel Bahiani, Orlando Duwang, Rachel Saavedra, Ricky Castillo, Christopher Dagsaan and RJ Besonia.
The suspects, who were taken to the NBI detention facility in Cagayan de Oro, are facing charges for violation of several environmental laws, including Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act, RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act and Presidential Decree No. 705 or the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines.
Authorities also seized six excavators, a fuel tanker, a boom truck, a mini dump truck, industrial water pumps and other mining equipment and materials.
On May 10, the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office wrote agencies comprising the Task Force Kinaiyahan here, among them the DENR, to report about illegal logging and mining activities along the Iponan River.
Using tech
According to the DENR, its regional office first received reports of the illegal mining activities of the still unidentified company.
“The reports were then confirmed through DENR’s satellite imagery at the DENR Central Office,” the agency said, adding that the satellite image allowed them to monitor and observe the mining sites, and eventually confirm and track the activities of the suspects.
It said the satellite images “showed massive excavations and forest destruction” in Iponan River.
“Under [Environment Secretary Maria Antonia] Loyzaga, whose major thrust on environmental protection and natural resource conservation includes the creation of a national environment and natural resources geospatial database, the DENR has been using current and emerging space science and technology applications across the country,” the agency said.
“Early this year, the DENR partnered with the Philippine Space Agency to develop and generate maps, systems and tools that could monitor forest areas using satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence and geographic information system,” it added.
In light of the raid, Loyzaga called for greater vigilance against illegal extractive activities that destroy the country’s already fragile environment.
The 60-kilometer long river snakes from the hinterlands of Iligan City down to Opol and through Cagayan de Oro before draining into Macajalar Bay. The mountains along the river, especially in the hinterlands, have been the subject of massive illegal mining activities in the last two decades.In 2012, authorities arrested two Chinese for operating an illegal mine site along the river but the charges were dismissed on a technicality.