Small-scale miners in Pantukan ask, why blame us?

Small-scale miners in Pantukan ask, why blame us?

Small-scale miners grapple with the impact of landslides and the government’s demolition order.
By JOHN RIZLE SALIGUMBA
Davao Today
PANTUKAN, Compostela Valley, Philippines — Armed with a “no habitation policy” order, local authorities demolished mining shanties here, six days after landslides struck and killed at least 36 people on January 5. It came as a new calamity to the small-scale miners and abanteros, who depend on the crude gold mining as their sole source of living.

“We are always blamed,” complained Jun, an 18-year old abantero at 700 (referring to 700 Tunnel Diat). Small-scale miners protested why they are being portrayed as willing victims of the tragedy. Government officials reportedly said that because small-scale miners refuse to heed a government order to vacate the gold-and-copper-rush site, they chose to be at risk.

“Aside from the unusually heavy rains, small-scale mining is one of the major triggers of landslides in the Philippines,” said Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Acting-Director Leo Jasareno.

Dionesy, a former abantero who lost his two nephews in the landslide, takes a rest and watch as other volunteers dig to find more bodies still burried in the mud. (photo by John Rizle Saligumba/davaotoday.com)

The landslide crashed down on nine houses and several ball mills along the road, totally damaging them before slowly creeping down toward the 700 Tunnel Diat where it hit the guard house and several bunkhouses owned by long time medium-scale mining firm HEXAT Mining Corporation. The landslide hit 15 gold processing plants and the adjacent portion of Diat Dos (Purok 1 and 2) where houses and more than three retail stores were located.

Ely Sanchez, chairman of the Diat Small-Scale Mining Association (DSSMA), told Davao Today he and Purok Chairman Paciano Banuelos hold a list of residents of Puroks 1 and 2 in Diat Dos. “We have 18 on our list. But the actual casualties may be above 100,” he said.

Because of the tragedy, all mining activities were stopped, putting the livelihood of more than 800 people in both Diat Uno and Diat Dos in uncertainty. On January 11, during the demolition, some residents begged the demolition team to start with empty houses. About 180 to 200 houses were affected by the demolition according to the Municipal Risk Reduction Management Council. Aside from sitios Diat Uno and Diat Dos, the MGB identified other areas in Barangay Napnapan which were high-risk or landslide-prone. These were Sitios (sub-villages) Binaaba and Saro; Puroks Lit-ag, Boringot, Lantawan, Saro, Pulang Lupa, Puring Sayaw, Sapa, Tipga, Niliputan; and Barangay Proper’s Puroks 7, Caimito, 2 and 5.

A hard day’s work in the mines

The landslide — or “bardown” in mining jargon — was believed to have originated from a “leaking” or fissure (a continuous, deep and huge crack in the ground) in the mountaintop of Diat Uno.
A bardown goes with the territory, said the miners interviewed by Davao Today.

An abantero, like any other worker under dangerous conditions, risks life and limb because of the lack of tillable farmlands. A “worker of fortune,” a abantero is always on alert for news of tunnels that are “hit” or those that have high chances of gold ore deposits..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/01/19/small-scale-miners-in-pantukan-ask-why-blame-us/