Residents blame laterite mining for discolored Davao Oriental river as DENR probes incident

THE DAVAO regional office of the Environment department has started investigating a heavy siltation and discoloration incident of a river in Davao Oriental province.

Photos posted by several residents online on Jan. 14 showed the Mapagba River in the town of Banaybanay turning red-orange in color following heavy rains. 

The discolored water flowed all the way out into coastal areas as the Mapagba River drains into the Davao Gulf.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao (DENR-Davao), in a statement issued late Friday evening, said it “immediately created an investigating team that will be deployed in the area tomorrow (January 15)” to evaluate the cause of the incident.

“The large volume of water allegedly may have resulted in such siltation that caused discoloration of the said river,” DENR-Davao said, noting 111 millimeters of rain was recorded within a 12-hour period from Jan. 13 to 14.

Davao Oriental resident Rudolph Dela Cruz Espe, an advocate against mining activities in Banaybanay, said this is the first time they have seen a discoloration of the river.

“There is no other reason for this except the present laterite mining activity in Puntalinao/Pintatagan mountainous area. I lived here since birth and I can attest that we never experienced such discoloration of rivers before. Obviously because of the ongoing laterite extraction ongoing in the area,” he said in a text message.

Other online reports indicate that river discoloration was also seen in Barangay Pintatagan.

The provincial board passed a resolution in July 2021, numbered 16-754-01-2021, “interposing no objection” on a permit for mining operation covering the barangays of Puntalinao, Causwagan, Pintatagan, Maputi, Panikian and Mahayag in Banaybanay. 

In March 2019, the Davao Oriental local government expressed opposition to the declaration of another area in the province as a mineral reservation site. 

Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang said then that the proposed mining area is “in close proximity to Davao Oriental’s crown jewel, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary,” which is Mindanao’s first and only declared UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The proposed mineral reservation area, according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, covers around 8,497 hectares with rich deposits of chromite, nickel laterite, and copper.

Mr. Dayanghirang said while mining would provide an economic boost to the province, the cost on the environment and communities in the surrounding areas is far greater. The mayor said the provincial government is working on bringing in more investments in other sectors such as agriculture and tourism, which would provide a more sustainable development. — Maya M. Padillo