THE OFFICE of the Civil Defense (OCD) XI said no miners working for Hallmark Mining in Barangay Macambol, Mati City were trapped inside the company’s wooded mining site.
In a Viber message on Jan. 20, Franz Irag, OCD XI operations officer, said the report about the trapped miners was false as they were only stranded due to the rushing flood waters last Jan. 18.
“Na-isolate lang to sila sa mining area kay naa landslides sa mga kalsada. Open pit pud ang mining sa area,” Irag said.
An article published by Rappler claimed that “300 miners are trapped,” a report denied by Mati City’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Jude Corpuz, Mati CDRRMO’s spokesperson, who was also quoted in the article, also said that rescuers were forced to stop their operations due to the severe flash floods and landslides around the mining site.
He clarified to Rappler that the miners were stranded rather than trapped as they could not pass through their usual route due to flash floods.
“Pero iya gyud gina-insist na na trap daw lagi. Gi-explain namo na ang trap is naa man gud sulod sa tunnel kung miners ang hisgutan. Ingon namo na stranded lang sila sa ilang kampo kay dili sila kalahos kay tungod sa baha,” Corpuz said on Saturday, Jan. 20.
Charlemagne Bagasol, Mati CDRRMO head, said they also coordinated with Barangay Macambol officials after receiving a call from one of the miner’s relatives informing them of the situation.
“Ang sabi ng kapitan dun na pinabalik ng kompanya yung mga minero sa kanilang kampo para mas safe sila mula sa baha. Then the barangay official suggested na sea rescue na lang and upon assessment, we told them na delikado kasi malakas ang agos at malaki ang alon,” Bagasol said.
The Mati CDRRMO also coordinated with the 66th Infantry Battalion for possible rescue of the miners to which the military affirmed to reach the miners on the following day, Jan. 19.
Meanwhile, Barangay Macambol confirmed on Jan. 20 that miners had gone back to their respective homes.
Hallmark Mining also donated food provisions to 236 families in Macambol and 102 families in Cabuaya, who were affected by the flooding.
