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URL: https://artshops.mindanaoart.org/product/hugno/?fbclid=IwAR2YgF80Wh21xTXZccVZ8BePrheAAVU9sSAgTAoA8GM4qj7zyNDbvSF24E0

TITLE: HUGNO

AUTHOR: John Alinsugay Rosco

DATE:  2022

KEY CONTENT: John Alinsugay Rosco, HUGNO's composer, produced the work to represent the mining problem of the Philippines and, ultimately, Mindanao. The piece expresses the impacts of mining on daily living and the environment. Moreover, the color and texture display how mining causes vegetation cover loss, mass destruction of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, land-use changes, food insecurity, increased social viruses and conflicts, high cost of living, and air pollution. Among which are the significant implications of land degradation.

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URL: https://lucid.essc.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3225-11197-2-PB.pdf

TITLE: “FROM THE UPLANDS OF MINDANAO Healing a Fragmented Land and Its People Through an Integral Ecological Approach”

AUTHOR: J. ANDRES F. IGNACIO

DATE: December 2, 2019

KEY CONTENT: Starting in the 1970s, a growing concern in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, is the issue of upland degradation that negatively affects the surroundings. Soil erosion is a factor that causes an emphasis on utilizing alternative and suitable sources of livelihood for highland populations to combat land degradation by capacity building in eco-agriculture, forest and water management, and such.

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URL: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32814166

TITLE: Undermining Patrimony: The Large-scale mining plunder in Mindanao and the people’s struggle and resistance.

AUTHOR:  Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Panalipdan Mindanao, and InPeace Mindanao

DATE: November 2014

KEY CONTENT: The book is about Mindanao, one of the most coveted islands for large mining firms owing to its abundant natural resources. It uncovers the truth about the massive environmental destruction caused by big foreign and domestic mining companies, as well as the lives, cultures, and health of the local people and the country as a whole.

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CV7UcsSym4&list=PLYzcazTnZPnDmTbEhVDKxptORrT6s3L_O&index=1

TITLE: 5th Mindanao Policy Research Forum (Part 1)

AUTHOR: Philippine Institute for Development Studies

DATE: September 10, 2019

KEY CONTENT: The lecture examines the adverse implications of land and resource depletion in Mindanao. It also addresses food insecurity caused by agricultural losses, as well as steps to preserve Mindanao's natural integrity in the face of urbanization and globalization. Overall, it includes the issues that explain the causes contributing to land degradation and its environmental effects.

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Reporter's Notebook: Ang epekto ng pagmimina sa Surigao Del Sur (RESEARCHED BY: HAMEEMAH CHEYENNE GURO)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffghyExTE68

TITLE: Reporter’s Notebook: Ang Epekto ng Pagmimina sa Surigao del Sur

AUTHOR: GMA Public Affairs, Maki Pulido

DATE: June 30, 2017

KEY CONTENT: Mining has had a negative impact on numerous mountains and bodies of water in Surigao del Sur since it began. The documentary highlights the once lush mountain ranges that are now bald and barren, destroying wildlife habitats raising risks for flood, and amplifying desertification in the area, one of the many implications of land degradation.

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Reporter's Notebook: Ang epekto ng pagmimina sa Surigao Del Sur

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Our Sacred Community: Biodiversity Loss + Indigienous Peoples | Jubilee for the Earth (RESEARCHED BY: LOUISE CLAIRE OÑAS)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x57mlwbRUE&list=PLC5w6L2-bOVRrSTluvbkg7EhAOt4vasIA&index=3

TITLE: Our Sacred Community: Biodiversity Loss + Indigenous People

AUTHOR: Columbans Britain

DATE: Sep. 8, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The Subanen tribe of Mindanao's Zamboanga Peninsula is well-known for protecting their land and relying entirely on nature. The podcast explored how the Subanens are experiencing dangers such as losing their ancestral land as a consequence of development aggression through infrastructure construction and natural resource extraction, resulting in biodiversity loss that includes deforestation and natural resource exploitation.

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Our Sacred Community: Biodiversity Loss + Indigienous Peoples | Jubilee for the Earth

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URL: https://www.lrcksk.org/post/2020/01/27/ngo-sounds-alarm-over-revival-of-monster-open-pit-mine-project-in-ph

TITLE: NGO Sounds Alarm Over Revival of ‘Monster’ Open-pit Mining Project in PH

AUTHOR: Legal Rights Center

DATE: Jun 22, 2020

KEY CONTENT: The Tampakan Gold-Copper Project, one of the world's largest open-pit mines, has been resumed after being suspended due to the lifting of the open-pit mining prohibition. NGOs have been alerted because the project would have a negative impact on the ecosystems and water supplies of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Davao del Sur.

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URL: https://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/15-news-events/press-releases/528-75-mining-permits-face-cancellation?highlight=WyJtaW5kYW5hbyIsIm1pbmRhbmFvJ3MiLCJkZWZvcmVzdGF0aW9uIl0=

TITLE: 75 Mining permits face cancellation

AUTHOR: Department of Environment and Natural Resources

DATE: February 9, 2017

KEY CONTENT: "You kill the watershed; you kill life. You kill the river, you kill agriculture, you kill the drinking water," former DENR secretary Gina Lopez said. Seventy-five mining permits for companies that endanger watersheds were set to be revoked, as mining activities in watersheds result in lower yields for farmers. Additionally, resources dry up when a watershed is adversely affected, and mining-related deforestation leads to soil erosion, flooding, and the siltation of water sources.

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URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344508239_Soil_Erosion_of_an_Ecotourism_Site_in_Bukidnon

TITLE: Soil Erosion of an Ecotourism site in Bukidnon

AUTHOR: Rico A. Marin and Jupiter V. Casas

DATE: October 2020

KEY CONTENT: Mt. Musuan, also known as Mt. Calayo, is an active volcano in Maramag, Bukidnon. As a result of its volcanic activity, Soil erosion issues arose in the area. The statistics reveal the extent of the volcano's influence on the grasslands, forests, and agroecosystem.

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PHILIPPINES GOLD RUSH TOWN - Most Mysterious And Fascinating Place? (Diwalwal, Davao) (RESEARCHED BY: HAMEEMAH CHEYENNE GURO)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juCNUcYrsaE

TITLE: PHILIPPINES GOLD RUSH TOWN - Most Mysterious And Fascinating Place? (Diwalwal, Davao)

AUTHOR: Kumander Daot

DATE: Dec 11, 2021

KEY CONTENT: Anselm Plummer, popularly known as "Kumander Daot," is a rising YouTube content creator famous for his travel vlogs. In this video, he visits different mining sites and interviews locals to reveal the state of the mining industry in Diwalwal, Davao de Oro. The adverse implications of mining in natural resources such as mountains and forests can be seen in the vlog.

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PHILIPPINES GOLD RUSH TOWN - Most Mysterious And Fascinating Place? (Diwalwal, Davao)

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ENVIRONMENT: All-out war against land degradation (RESEARCHED BY: AARON SAM LOPEZ)

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URL:https://edgedavao.net/bigger-picture/2017/04/21/environment-war-land-degradation/

TITLE: ENVIRONMENT: All-out war against land degradation

AUTHOR: Henrylito D. Tacio

DATE: April 21, 2017

KEY CONTENT: Henrylito D. Tacio is a renowned journalist who focuses on science features and agriculture. In the blog article, he explains why land degradation is such a severe problem in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, and shows the causes and effects of land degradation, such as soil erosion in neighboring environments.

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ENVIRONMENT: All-out war against land degradation

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“Land is the foundation for all life-sustaining processes on the planet. It provides us with food and water. It helps us manage environmental risks such as floods and drought. It supports natural p…

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Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity and profitability in the Philippines (RESEARCHED BY: AARON SAM LOPEZ)

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URL: https://www.thegef.org/news/sustainable-land-management-enhances-soil-productivity-and-profitability-philippines

TITLE: Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity and profitability in the Philippines

AUTHOR: Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

DATE: September 4, 2019

KEY CONTENT:  Rapid development has recently put further strain on the land, with population development, poor land use planning, industrialization, and unsustainable land use depleting the country's natural resources. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) proposes ways to promote land management and resolve land degradation in Bukidnon.

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Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity and profitability in the Philippines

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The Philippines' Department of Agriculture Secretary, Dr. William D. Dar, is promoting a new way of thinking about land productivity and prosperity. Working to achieve a delicate balance, this new way of thinking is guided by the mantra of 'Ani, Kita' (Tagalog for 'production' and 'income', respectively) - which references the twin objectives of sustainability and profits.

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiO62upxlmk

TITLE: Region 10 - Northern Mindanao (Promotional Video)

AUTHOR: Jila Mandocdoc

DATE: December 18, 2019

KEY CONTENT: Northern Mindanao's nature, culture, and biodiversity are highlighted in the promotional film. It includes Bukidnon's vast agricultural plains, Cagayan de Oro's beautiful greens that attract visitors, Lanao del Norte's Mt. Torong Torong with its diverse species, and the natural wealth of many more provinces. It also invites the public to visit and experience the places for themselves that could be ruined by industrialization, deforestation, and mining.

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Region 10 - Northern Mindanao (Promotional Video) (RESEARCHED BY: AARON SAM LOPEZ)

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Region 10 - Northern Mindanao (Promotional Video)

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URL: https://web.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=488520046782833&set=a.488520030116168&type=3&_rdc=1&_rdr

TITLE: Protect Tampakan Defend SMI Tampakan, Leave MindaNOW

AUTHOR: Protect Tampakan

DATE: November 12, 2020

KEY CONTENT: The "Tampakan Project" has been opposed by the local Catholic Church and environmental groups because it will eventually pollute the nearby downstream Lake Buluan and upstream Liguasan Marsh. It would damage farmlands, significantly impact the food supply for the larger Muslim and indigenous communities, as well as destroy their livelihoods. It is also susceptible to pollution, erosion, siltation, and continuing devastating flash floods and landslides, which would eliminate the natural resources nearby. For these reasons, the poster seeks to encourage the public to help restore and safeguard Tampakan from mining companies.

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URL: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0SwFFWjz2pvWkcyD1xF3XCPt5fN3isj6V7McYxXqNJjgMbuBCGTqCHe8n38VAqSbLl&id=100003546103851&mibextid=Nif5oz

TITLE: Tampakan Mine

AUTHOR: Renz Montemayor

DATE: Nov. 19, 2020

KEY CONTENT: The Tampakan Mine is one of the most dangerous mines in the Philippines, situated 12km away from Mt. Matutum, a dormant volcano. It is estimated to hold 2.94 billion tons of resources and is said to affect 10,000 farmers from the pollution in the Mal river downstream. Additionally, Allah, Marbel, and Padada rivers will be polluted and "hard to use."

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URL: https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2023/01/mindanao-2022-tampakan-mines-ban-on-open-pit-mining-lifted-vetoed/

TITLE: [MINDANAO 2022] Tampakan mines: ban on open pit mining lifted, vetoed

AUTHOR: Bong S. Sarmiento

DATE: January 1, 2023

Key Content:  South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. vetoed the legislation in June in response to a protest march organized by the Catholic Church and an online petition, claiming that "lifting the ban on open-pit mining was quickly decided and involved suspicious clauses." Protestors emphasized the issues that may arise following the board's decision to implement open-pit mining rather than "responsible mining," which may threaten and degrade surrounding ecological systems.

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URL: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1673730/better-protection-pushed-for-mindanao-watersheds

TITLE: Better protection pushed for Mindanao watersheds

AUTHOR: Carmelito Q. Francisco, Julie S. Alipala

DATE: Oct. 02, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The Pasonanca Natural Park in Zamboanga hosts a watershed home to 15,000 flora species, of which 50 percent are endemic, and 193 are categorized now as threatened species, 109 species of birds, 24 species of mammals, 71 species of reptiles, 44 species of amphibians and 77 insect families. It has immense economic and ecological importance, leading to its need for security. Help is called to protect the area better.

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Better protection pushed for Mindanao watersheds (RESEARCHED BY: ZEM DAWN ELLICA)

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Z AMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines - The late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez immediately fell in love with the Pasonanca Natural Park the first time she set foot there in 2018.

"If La Mesa [Watershed] is gold, this [Pasonanca Natural Park] is super, super diamond," Lopez said in awe during a tour of the park's buffer zone in Canucutan village - just 5 kilometers away from the Zamboanga City center - where a number of giant century-old trees served as fortresses before one enters the park's strict protection zone.

The Pasonanca Natural Park was initially established in 1987 as a watershed forest reserve covering 10,560 hectares. It was expanded to 12,107 ha and reclassified as a natural park in 1999.

The park has the largest remaining block of an old-growth lowland dipterocarp forest in the Zamboanga Peninsula, according to conservationists.

Rock formations, springs and waterfalls can also be found inside the park that spans across the villages of Pasonanca, Lunzuran, Lumayang, Cacao, Lapacan, Lamisahan, Bungiao, La Paz, Balurno, and Dulian, and part of Sibuco town in Zamboanga del Norte province.

About 60 percent of the park is covered by forests while the rest is devoted to agricultural production, tourism and settlements.

According to Mark Paredes, acting general manager of the Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD), the park's forest cover supports various streams and rivers that provide safe and clean fresh water to almost a million people of Zamboanga City.

But due to a lack of infrastructure, mainly an impounding dam, ZCWD is only able to use 38 percent of the estimated 100,000 cubic meters of water generated daily by the park's forest, Paredes said.

Valerie Gutierrez, ZCWD's environment and water resources manager, said the park's water sources, when harnessed, could ensure that its 68,000 service connections are fully served even during a drought.

In 2016 and 2019, ZCWD had to ration water due to El Niño, when its production was down 50 percent, leaving many households in the elevated areas without water supply.

On average, ZCWD requires 68,000 cu m of water daily.

Flora, fauna stock

The park is home to the vanishing dipterocarp tree species like Mindanao narek, yakal-magasusu, gisok-gisok, almon, white lauan, kalunti, mayapis, tanguile, Mindanao narig, Mindanao palosapis and dao, Domiliza Campaner, protected area superintendent of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

In addition, the watershed is also home to 15,000 flora species, of which 50 percent are endemic and 193 are categorized now as threatened species. Some of these are rare orchid species Amesiella monticola, Phalaenopsis stuartiana, Cymbidium aliciae, Vandopsis lissochiloides, and ordinary and giant staghorn ferns.

The watershed, Campaner said, also hosts 109 species of birds, 24 species of mammals, 71 species of reptiles, 44 species of amphibians and 77 insect families.

A couple of Philippine eagles are found in the park, Campaner said.

Other birds found in the park are the Mindanao bleeding-heart, Philippine dwarf kingfisher, Philippine leafbird and little slaty flycatcher, which are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Zamboanga bulbul which is becoming rare due to habitat loss.

Forest guards needed

According to Paredes, there is a need to heighten measures for the park's protection due to its economic and ecological importance.

"We cannot let intruders destroy it. We have to instill in the minds of our people that this watershed is not just [a] forest. This is the life of every Zamboangueño, including for the endemic and endangered flora and fauna," he said.

Currently, only 45 forest guards, spread across 15 stations, secure the park against wildlife hunters and poachers. ZCWD used to employ 145 forest guards but due to financial constraints, it was forced to cut down the number while management focused on addressing its problem over nonrevenue water due to leaks from its old and rusting pipes.

Councilor Joselito Macrohon recalled that the previous local government leadership committed to augmenting the forest guards by 80. However, the hiring was stalled due to the pandemic.

To address the problem, Campaner said national government support would also be needed.

Makabol-Alikoson mountains

In Davao City, groups have pushed for a DENR declaration as critical habitat the Makabol-Alikoson mountain range to strengthen its protection.

Among those pushing for the measure are Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability, Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Sustainable Davao Movement, Ecoteneo, Bantay Bukid and residents of Barangay Salaysay.

Based on the series of expeditions between July and August, the area was found to be a breeding place for the Philippine eagle and the habitat of other important wildlife species.

A critical habitat is a zone outside a protected area known to host threatened species and designated as such based on scientific data. The DENR has special rules for its proper management.Research by the University of the Philippines Mindanao found that there are 119 terrestrial vertebrate species in the area. These include 88 birds, 16 amphibians, six reptiles, five bats and four non-volant mammals. Some 39 species are endemic to the country, and an additional 23 can only be found in Mindanao.

Of these, the white-collared fruit bat (Megaerops wetmorei) is listed by the IUCN as vulnerable; the Philippine tarsier (Carlito syrictha) near threatened; the Mindanao flying dragon or lizard (Draco mindanensis) vulnerable; Mindanao fanged frog (Limnonectes magnus) near threatened; Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) critically endangered; Mindanao hawk-eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) endangered; and giant scops owl (Otus gurneyi) vulnerable.The Mindanao horned frog (Megophrys stejnegeri) found in the area is on the DENR list of "Other Threatened Species."

Philippine endemic trees are also found in the area such as white lauan, almon, binuang, ulayan, almaciga, yakal, sagimsim and mountain agoho.

Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for research and conservation, said that based on the studies, there is a need to declare the area as critical habitat.

Potential heritage site

"Apart from the Philippine eagle, there are other threatened endangered species that are about to be extinct and need to be protected. These indicators conform with the guidelines in declaring a critical habitat," Ibañez said.

Spanning some 8,819 ha, the Makabol-Alikoson mountain range supports the sources of potable water supply for the city and the livelihood of some 6,000 residents of Salaysay.

Late last year, groups raised howls of protest with the DENR's issuance of a permit to cut 121 trees from the area, leading to a petition to have the mountains preserved.

Among those who signed the petition was American scientist James W. Grier, considered the "midwife" of Philippine eagle Pag-asa's hatching in 1992.

Grier, professor emeritus at North Dakota State University's Department of Biological Sciences and adviser to PEF, said that the Makabol area should be left to its "natural state" as much as possible, "including leaving old and even fallen trees naturally in place."

In the letter addressed to DENR Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel Evasco, Grier said that he was planning to recommend the Makabol area as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site.
RELATED STORIES Floods revive calls to rehabilitate Mindanao river basins Mindanao rivers offer climate lessons

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Carmelito Q. Francisco, Julie S. Alipala

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Better protection pushed for Mindanao watersheds

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Z AMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines - The late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez immediately fell in love with the Pasonanca Natural Park the first time she set foot there in

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Southern Philippine coal project moves ahead despite community opposition  (RESEARCHED BY: ZEM DAWN ELLICA)

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URL: https://news.mongabay.com/2022/10/southern-philippine-coal-project-moves-ahead-despite-community-opposition/

TITLE: Southern Philippine coal project moves ahead despite community opposition

AUTHOR: Bong S. Sarmiento

DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The Tampakan mining project continues despite the heavy conflict. Locals complain of noise and other disturbances in the dead of night. The Allah river, one of the island's most significant river systems and a primary source of irrigation, will be contaminated and could affect "millions of people across Mindanao."

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Southern Philippine coal project moves ahead despite community opposition

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MINDANAO, Philippines - In the remote mountain village of Ned, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, the arrival of heavy machinery signals that development is underway on a controversial, long-planned coal mine. Villager Jimmy Batilaran Jr. said that at least 40 earthmoving machines, including dump trucks and backhoes, have been deployed to the mine's [...]

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One Mindanao: Open-Pit Mining sa South Cotabato (RESEARCHED BY: HAMEEMAH CHEYENNE GURO)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rConY1K8h_w

TITLE: One Mindanao: Open-pit Mining sa South Cotabato

AUTHOR: GMA Regional TV, Jesteno Jumamil

DATE: May 17, 2022

KEY CONTENT: Citizens and certain local government officials have been alerted of lifting the ban on open-pit mining in South Cotabato, Philippines, which is recognized for its agricultural production. Concerns have been raised regarding the likely consequences of the lift on nearby agricultural areas, particularly in the change in landforms and the water source farmers utilize for farmlands.

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One Mindanao: Open-Pit Mining sa South Cotabato

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Illegal logging endangers south Philippines (RESEARCHED BY: SHEKYLAH SALUDO)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeaE-8rlXGY&ab_channel=AlJazeeraEnglish

TITLE: Illegal logging endangers south Philippines

AUTHOR: Al Jazeera English

DATE: January 22, 2012

KEY CONTENT: Illegal logging in the Southern part of the Philippines was blamed for the damage brought by the tropical storm that unfortunately left the island devastated. Even with the implementation of the logging ban, individuals and few companies are still ignoring the ban and continuing illegal activities. Urban sprawl and inadequate preparedness are a few contributors to what we call "modern tragedy."

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Illegal logging endangers south Philippines