Davao Oriental eyes nickel mining ban

The provincial government of Davao Oriental is mulling to pass a measure to stop ongoing nickel mining operations on the slopes of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Barangay Macambol in the City of Mati.

- By KEITH BACONGCO

WORKERS dismantle steel railings on the highway in Lanang, Davao City on Tuesday evening, Oct.7, for the construction of the P23-billion Samal Island-Davao Connector (SIDCO) expected to be completed by 2027. (Keith Bacongco)

(Keith Bacongco)

Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang issued a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 7, amid the 200-hectare clearing that the provincial government recently documented near the designated buffer zone.

Dayanghirang emphasized the need to protect the environment, especially that the mined out area is located near the designated buffer zone.

The buffer zone serves as a last line of defense of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the buffer zones are "designated areas around mining tenements or bodies of water where extraction and certain facility construction are restricted to minimize environmental impact."