Vizcaya gov warns foreigners engaged in illegal mining

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – Gov. Luisa Cuaresma has called on the Korean embassy to advise its nationals to refrain from engaging in illegal mining in the province, saying those who will be apprehended will be dealt with accordingly.

This, as Cuaresma ordered the police to step up their operations against illegal mining and smuggling of minerals, which, according to reports, have been going on unabated in the province’s remote mountain areas for years now.

“We have to file cases against those engaging in this illegal activity. I will even give a reward for our policemen who can confiscate and arrest those responsible,” said Cuaresma in last Tuesday’s meeting of the provincial peace and order council. 

Earlier, Eva Antiporda of the Bureau of Immigration’s regional office, said they would look into the reports that foreigners, especially Koreans, Chinese and Taiwanese of questionable status, were engaging in small-scale mining in the province.

Cuaresma said she has been hearing reports on the influx of foreigners purportedly to engage locals in the extraction of minerals such as in the villages of Alimit and Didipio in Kasibu town and Runruno in Quezon town.

According to reports, these foreigners, allegedly only holding tourist visas, have been financing illegal small-scale miners to extract minerals in these gold-rush sites, raking in millions of pesos from the proceeds of the illegal activity.

Their presence, reports also indicated, even encourage more locals to resort to small-scale mining despite the dangers it poses to their lives and to the environment.

Cuaresma said they would be coordinating with concerned foreign embassies to look into their nationals’ activities here.

“Let me reiterate once again that I have not issued any permit for anyone to extract, gather and transport our mineral resources,” she said.