Authorities shut down an illegal gold mining site in Tampakan, South Cotabato, seizing equipment in a joint anti-illegal mining crackdown. (Contributed Photo)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Authorities shut down an illegal gold mining facility near a river in Barangay Tablu, Tampakan, South Cotabato, on Friday, February 20, as part of a joint anti-illegal mining operation involving police, military, environmental officials, and the private sector.
Operatives confiscated and destroyed equipment found at the site, including large water hoses and improvised strainers used to separate gold from soil extracted from nearby mountains. The team has recovered shovels and pickaxes after miners fled upon seeing government forces approaching with uniformed soldiers and police officers.
Successful operation against illegal mining
In separate statements on Monday, Brigadier General Arnold Ardiente, director of Police Regional Office 12, and Major General Alvin Luzon, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, confirmed the successful operation.
The crackdown was carried out by units of PRO 12, the Armyโs 39th Infantry Battalion, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12, the municipal government of Tampakan, and Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI).
โSuch โbayanihan-styleโ anti-illegal mining efforts are crucial in curbing illegal mining operations in South Cotabato,โ Luzon said.
The government has contracted SMI to implement the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project in the town, a state-permitted mining venture that may begin operations in 2028.
The company has secured written consent from Blaan tribal leaders in Tampakan and from the central office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Multi-sector collaboration
Officials of DENR-12, Ardiente, Luzon, and South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. separately thanked local executives in Tampakan, SMI management, and Blaan tribal leaders for their cooperation in the operation.
Tamayo said sustained multi-sector collaboration is key to suppressing illegal mining across the province.
Records from the governorโs office, PRO 12, and the 10th Infantry Division show the team had shut down nearly 20 illegal mining operations in Tampakan and in Blaan ancestral domains in nearby Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.
Authorities said the group is also pushing large-scale tree and bamboo planting initiatives in various municipalities as part of broader environmental protection efforts.
About The Author
