Palace exec heads anti-black sand mining task force

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines   â€“ A Palace official has been named head of a task force to go after illegal black sand mining in Cagayan.

Manuel Mamba, head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, has been chosen by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), to head the task force, whose members include the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police. 

The MICC, chaired by Emmanuel Esguerra, deputy director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, is under the Office of the President. 

The Task Force on Black Sand Mining, which was created during MICC’s consultative meeting last week, is tasked to investigate the black sand mining activities in Cagayan.

It was mandated to act, direct and recommend measures, “including enforcement of cease-and-desist order for illegal operators.”

“With the task force, we are hopeful that we would be able to stop illegal black sand mining operations in the province, which are threatening our coastlines and marine resources, not to mention the danger they pose to the fishing communities,” Mamba said. 

Earlier, Mamba, who hails from Cagayan where he had served as third district congressman, said the illegal mining operations would not thrive without the intercession of some powerful politicians. 

“At stake here is not only millions of pesos but billions which only flows into the pockets of those who are abetting the illegal operations to the detriment of the environment and the very lives of our fishing communities,” Mamba said. 

Black sand or magnetite, a rich resource along Cagayan’s northern coastlines, commands a high price in foreign markets, as it is used as additive in manufacturing concrete and steel products, magnets, paint, ink, paper, jewelry and cosmetics. 

Black sand mining, according to reports, goes unabated in Cagayan’s coastal towns of Gonzaga, Buguey, Camalaniugan, Lallo and Aparri, where 15 Chinese nationals were held for allegedly engaging in such operations.

The 15 Chinese, who were held by joint operatives of the MGB and NBI in last Thursday’s raid, were working for Huaxia Trading and Mining Corp., which the MGB had ordered to stop extracting black sand after it was found out to have extended its operations beyond its permitted area or within the prohibited zone.

Mario Ancheta, MGB-Cagayan Valley director, said the foreigners are now in the custody of the Bureau of Immigration-Aparri district for proper verification after 13 of them were found to be undocumented aliens. 

Mamba said black sand mining is also rampant along the shorelines of the Ilocos region and Zambales province.  – Charlie Lagasca, Raymund Catindig