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Viral photo sparks concern; DENR says mining site outside Sierra Madre Protected Zone
Viral photo sparks concern; DENR says mining site outside Sierra Madre Protected Zone
By Jel Santos
After a viral image triggered public concern over mining near the Sierra Madre range, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) clarified that Dinapigue Mining Corporation (DMC) is operating beyond the protected park’s boundaries.
The photo, widely shared on social media in early June, shows a large brown patch cutting through lush greenery along the Sierra Madre mountain range.
Netizens criticized what they viewed as destructive mining in a vital biodiversity hotspot.
But the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Cagayan Valley (Region 2) has dispelled those claims.
“The Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Dinapigue Mining Corporation is outside the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP) and its buffer zone,” MGB Regional Director Mario Ancheta told the Manila Bulletin in an interview.
“All currently operated sites have undergone on-the-ground verification and are overlaid with boundary maps to confirm whether they lie within or outside the NSMNP perimeter,” he added.
The MPSA was issued on March 12, 2008, following clearance from authorities.
According to Ancheta, the DMC consistently seeks prior approval before opening any new mining areas.
Permits, audits all valid
Per DENR records, DMC’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), issued in 2008, remains valid.
The mining contract itself is valid until July 29, 2032, it added.
In 2024, the Philippine Minerals Industry Environmental Awards Committee validated DMC’s site and gave the firm the Titanium Achievement Award under the Surface Mining Operation Category, recognizing its performance in environmental safety, health, and community relations.
Ancheta noted that quarterly monitoring is in place.
“The latest MMT Monitoring was conducted last May 19–23, 2025. Based on the Compliance Monitoring and Verification Report (CMVR), all of the required permits for its operations were all valid,” he said.
Reforestation, community work also reviewed
The DENR confirmed that 626,402 seedlings were planted or donated by the company, with 368,388 directly linked to the Mining Forest and National Greening Programs.
“These are included in the Multi-Partite Monitoring Team’s (MMT) quarterly assessments,” Ancheta stated.
“Separate monitoring is also conducted by PENROs and CENROs.”
As such, the agency said the DMC submitted an updated Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan (FMRDP), now under review by DENR’s Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee (MRFC).
The company has already deposited funds for future rehabilitation work, the DENR said.
Community consultations scrutinized
In light of the backlash, the DENR stressed that mining firms undergo strict oversight when dealing with local communities.
“Community consultations made by the company were being witnessed and attended by all concerned stakeholders – DENR, MGB, EMB, local government units, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP),” Ancheta added.
Mechanisms, he said, are in place to ensure consultations are “genuine, transparent, and free from coercion.”
‘We’re outside the protected area’
In a map shared with the media, DMC outlined its operations relative to the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park boundary, showing that its mining footprint lies outside the protected green zone.
“DMC operations are conducted outside the boundaries of the Sierra Madre Natural Park,” the company said in a statement.
“We comply with national and local regulations and have all necessary permits.”
DMC added that 72 percent of its workforce are local hires, including members of Indigenous Peoples (IP) groups, and that its reforestation efforts go beyond basic tree planting, emphasizing long-term sustainability.