DENR confirms Chinese presence in illegal mining

DENR Sec. Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga —Richard A. Reyes

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is building a case against people behind the illegal mining operations in Camarines Norte province which are said to have been run by Chinese nationals posing as tourists.

At a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga expressed concern that the Chinese-run small-scale mining activities in Paracale town were found to have obtained a permit from local authorities.

“What we know is that, in fact, this operation has a history. In 2023, we also know that they had completed their permitting requirements and had been permitted to operate,” she said.

READ: 11 Chinese nationals arrested for illegal mining in Camarines Norte

“However, now, they have been found to have been operating also beyond the area where they have been permitted to operate; and, of course, there is the presence of foreign workers,” she said.

Yulo-Loyzaga made the confirmation following Sunday’s arrest of 11 Chinese who were said to have been working for an illegal mine in Paracale, a coastal town known for its small-scale gold mining.

The Chinese workers reportedly carried tourist visas for the duration of their stay in the Philippines, according to an interagency task force that conducted the raid.

Paracale Mayor Romeo Moreno, in a phone interview on Wednesday, said five of the Chinese nationals were arrested at the site of the mineral processing plant in Barangay Tawig while six were found in two separate safehouses in the town on Oct. 13.

The foreigners had no legal working papers, the mayor said.

“The mineral plant is reportedly expanding its operations without proper authorization,” said Moreno, who confirmed that it had been issued an environmental compliance certificate.

Moreno said the local government, in cooperation with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau launched an investigation on Wednesday.

“Preliminary findings indicate that uranium, a highly regulated mineral, is allegedly being excavated at the site,” he said.

“The facility, which is located on private property in a mountainous area of Tawig, will remain under close scrutiny until the investigation is concluded,” Moreno said.

Permit

Despite the operators’ supposedly having a mining permit, their activities are still considered illegal, Yulo-Loyzaga said.

“First of all, it’s illegal to have foreign workers by law in your operation, unless there are specific, highly technical positions which will require such technical advice or capacity,” she said.

The DENR chief expressed concern over the involvement of foreigners in illegal mining activities, with similar arrests of alien workers reported in the upland areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities last year.

“It is certainly a concern and so we work very closely with the other partners, not just the—I would say, the local authorities but certainly with our partners in the Department of National Defense,” she said.

But Yulo-Loyzaga declined to provide further details on the DENR’s actions against foreigners in illegal mining activities, saying the agency has already issued a cease-and-desist order against the Paracale mining activity as it conducts its “case buildup” against those behind it.

“This is a small-scale mining processing operation. So, as you know, in terms of the small-scale operations, there’s a heavy local government and local community component,” she said.

The DENR would also seek the help of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment to trace whether the proceeds of the mining operations were properly accounted for and whether the company had complied with the restrictions against engaging foreign workers.

“So, this is a process that we have to follow, there is a time element but certainly, looking at the situation, it’s not looking good for them,” Yulo-Loyzaga said. —with a report from Michael B. Jaucian