Mayor bucks Minahan ng Bayan in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Mayor Nathan Electona of Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental on Wednesday disclosed that his administration has been doing its best to stop the illegal mining activities in Barangay San Francisco.

Electona, however, lamented that the small-scale mining activities for perceived gold deposits in Tarug and Bantolino in Barangay San Francisco appeared to be "unstoppable" despite interventions by different authorities.

Earlier, the provincial government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau and the Sta. Catalina local government unit had separately ordered the stoppage of the gold-mining activities there.

Prior to this, Barangay Catipon in the adjacent town of Siaton was also the subject of a closure order after illegal mining activities were discovered in that hinterland village.

Electona believed that setting up a detachment of the Philippine Army in the area would deter the persistence of the mining activities in the remote areas of Barangay San Francisco. He added that those engaged in the illegal mining operations seemed to be "professionals" from Mindanao and Luzon.

The mayor described the situation at the mining area as a "cat-and-mouse" game, in which "miners would only surface when authorities are not around.

On the plan to declare these areas as "Minahan ng Bayan," under the supervision of the MGB, Electona said it may be a good idea where the government can regulate the activities there, while the local governments will also be getting royalty taxes.

Electona however expressed fears that the water system in Sta. Catalina will be affected in the event the Minahan ng Bayan will be realized. He said that, besides its perceived benefits, he would rather have a total ban on mining in his town. — Judy Flores Partlow (FREEMAN)