Davao del Norte – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-XI has made it clear that there is no approved mining application in the province of Davao del Norte to date.

MGB-XI Regional Director Atty. Alberto Lascano denied the claim of Pasaka Confederation of Lumad Organization in Southern Mindanao and Bayan progressive groups that there are mining companies operating in the tribal municipality of Talaingod.

In his status report of mining applications in Davao del Norte, Lascano briefed Governor Edwin Jubahib that “there is no approved mining applications” in the towns of Talaingod and Kapalong, and elsewhere in Davao del Norte.

He revealed that there are 17 mining companies which applied for mining exploration and mineral production in the two municipalities.

Of these applications, however, 12 were denied while the other five were returned for various reasons.

The official further denied the false information in a Facebook post of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Southern Mindanao, which alleged that Philippine Meng Di Mining and Development Corporation has acquired a mining exploration permit in Talaingod.

Lascano revealed that the company’s application was in fact “returned to the applicant”, as it is entirely within the Tourism Development Area (TDA) and Critical Watershed (CW) No-Go Zone.

He also clarified that the application of Phil. Meng Di Mining only covers the municipality of Kapalong, and not Talaingod, contrary to what Bayan is saying.

Jubahib said that this is a classic example of how the leftist organizations are deceiving the public in pursuing their agenda.

“They are good at using deception and manipulating the minds of our people in furthering their leftist agenda and in exploiting the plight of the Indigenous People for their benefit,” the governor said.

Pasaka, Bayan and other left-leaning groups have used the mining issue, among other reasons, in defending UCCP-Haran’s keeping of hundreds of Indigenous People since 2014.

Pasaka Secretary General Jong Monzon earlier said that the IPs stay in Haran to protect the Pantaron Mountain Range from mining companies supposedly operating in Talaingod, among other grounds.

Authorities have accused the management of UCCP-Haran of exploiting the IPs for their anti-government propaganda and fund-raising activities, while teaching tribal children subversive ideologies. 

This led the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) 11 to pass a resolution calling for the immediate closure of the Haran Evacuation Center since the "security sector have recorded violations of Indigenous People's (IPs) rights, child abuse, child trafficking, exploitation of the IPs for terroristic activities were committed inside the facility."