Last year, illegal mining known as ‘banlas’ were ordered dismantled by local government authorities in South Cotabato.
Sources from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) disclosed that a local official in South Cotabato have alerted the authorities that illegal hydraulic mining operations in low-lying areas of the controversial Tampakan project could trigger catastrophic flash floods similar to the disaster in Nepal.
According to Neil Ryan Escobillo, barangay captain of Pulabato in Tampakan, South Cotabato, a geological hazard assessment conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Region XII (MGB-12) has issued the warning, saying that the threat of landslides and other possible disasters could be blamed on the thriving illegal mining operations known as ‘banlas’.
Also known as sluice mining, ‘banlas’ is a highly destructive mining method that involves pouring large amounts of water into a mountain’s surface to loosen the soil and rocks to extract gold ore, which is then panned using mercury.
The ₱6 billion Tampakan mining project is considered as Southeast Asia’s largest undeveloped copper and gold minefield. It is a massive copper and gold open-pit mining venture which was initially prohibited but was eventually pursued after the ban was lifted.
The project’s developer has been listed as Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI) and mineral reserves have been roughly estimated at 15 million tons of copper and 17.6 million ounces of gold with the project development costs approximated at upwards of over $1.1 billion to nearly $5.9 billion depending on the scope.
Despite the potential profits, Escobillo warned that what happened in Nepal last August 26, which reportedly killed at least 1,000 individuals with about 5,000 still missing, could also occur in South Cotabato.
“In Nepal’s case, glaciers collapsed, and landslides with debris blocked the river flow, creating a natural dam and eventually flooding downstream. This observation, he said, is quite similar to the site geological hazard assessment conducted last March in Sitio Campo Kilot in Barangay Pula Bato.
“(The) introduction of artificial erosion through hydraulic mining further weakens slope integrity, significantly increasing susceptibility to landslides . . . an increased risk of flooding due to potential artificial damming and sudden release of accumulated materials,” the barangay captain and ex-officio member of the South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan, representing the Association of Barangay Captains in the province, cited. He added that aside from landslides triggered by the ‘banlas’ operations, rain-induced landslides are also compounding the situation, forming a natural dam blocking the river flow downstream.
The issue has prompted MGB-12 to recommend intensified efforts to oppose ‘banlas’ operators and rehabilitate the areas damaged by their continued mining operations.