Koronadal City— South Cotabato Governor Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr. released a stoppage order to small scale mining operation due to the increasing destruction occurred in various mountains in Tboli town.
Pingoy: "Environmental protection is among my priorities, thus, any mining which is illegal, should have to be stopped." *photo by Steve Rodriguez
Pingoy received reports from the office of the Provincial Environment Management that most of the small scale miners have not complied with the regulatory guidelines for tunnel mining.
In a meeting with the Provincial Mining Rugulatory Board (PMRB), Pingoy discovered that 70 percent of tunnel mining in the area is operating illegally while only 30 percent is managing tunnel mining through approved mining regulations.
Meanwhile, Pingoy pressed PEMO to conduct a thorough investigation on the proliferation of the illegal mining industry in Tboli.
Pingoy said he maintains his stand that any mining which is illegal should have to be stopped as environmental protection is one of his top priorities. ~ by Annaliz Cabrido, PIO
