COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Indigenous leaders, local officials, and mining regulators have joined forces to install 18 anti-illegal mining signages across Tampakan town in South Cotabato, a mineral-rich area eyed for large-scale copper and gold extraction by 2026.
The initiative, involving Blaan tribal leaders, barangay officials, and representatives from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Region 12 (MGB-12), aims to assert support for the controversial Tampakan Copper-Gold Project under Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), while warding off illegal small-scale miners operating without permits.
โWe must guard our areas from illegal mining,โ said Danlag barangay councilor Rosalina Lejarso. โThis is part of our responsibility as local leaders.โ
The campaign comes as SMI gears up for potential full operations in Tampakanโhome to what experts estimate as over $200 billion worth of copper and gold deposits, nestled within ancestral domains of the Blaan community. The national government has authorized SMI to tap the site, which sits just 16 kilometers from Koronadal City, the regional capital.
Signages as Deterrent
Joseph Escobillo, a councilor in neighboring Barangay Tablu, said the signages serve as a visible deterrent and a message that local communities are vigilant against unregulated mining activities.
The Blaan tribe, one of Mindanaoโs indigenous groups, has formally given its consent to SMI, allowing the company to mine within their ancestral landsโa requirement under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).
โOur tribe and the local government can only benefit from legal, state-sanctioned mining,โ said Blaan chieftain and Tampakan municipal councilor Datu Domingo Collado. โThis is a project we approved.โ
Beyond Tampakan, tribal leaders in nearby towns are taking notice. Datu Edmund Ugal, a Tโboli leader from the adjacent town of Tโboli, said they hope to replicate the signage campaign in their own communitiesโincluding areas in Lake Sebu, known for its untapped coal reserves.
The Tampakan project has long been a flashpoint in debates over resource extraction, indigenous rights, and environmental impact. While the national government has backed SMIโs planned operations, criticsโincluding some environmental groupsโremain wary of large-scale mining’s potential harm to ecosystems and indigenous livelihoods.
Still, leaders like Collado has already made the decision: โWe are protecting this landโby saying yes to regulated mining and no to those who steal from it.โ
