MINERS working for Hallmark Mining in Barangay Macambol, Mati City are now safe at their homes after being stranded in their camp due to rushing floodwaters last Thursday, January 18.
The Mati CDRRMO denied the report published by Rappler that “300 miners are trapped”.
Mati CDRRMO head Charlemagne Bagasol said his staff received a call from Rappler afternoon of January 18 asking for confirmation if there are indeed hundreds of miners trapped in the mining site in Macambol.
Jude Corpuz, a personnel tasked with receiving calls from their emergency hotline numbers, said they clarified with Rappler that the miners are not trapped but rather stranded as they cannot pass through their usual route due to the flashflood.
“Pero iya gyud gina-insist na natrap 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, January 20.
Corpuz said they advised Rappler that they are using the hotline emergency number which is essential to their disaster response operation but the Rappler reporter stayed on for more than eight minutes before finally ending the call.
Bagasol said that one January 18, they received a call from a relative of one of the miners informing them of the predicament of miners in the area.
He said they readily coordinated with the Barangay Macambol officials to verify the information.
“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 narrated.
It was learned that the miners were about to go home to their families from their mining camp when the flashflood happened.
The CDRRMO also coordinated with the Philippine Army’s 66th Infantry Battalion for possible rescue of the miners to which the military affirmed to reach the miners on the following day, January 19.
The City of Mati LGU also deployed several heavy equipment to Barangay Macambol for road-clearing operation.
The barangay officials of Macambol confirmed on Thursday that the miners are already safe inside the mining camp.
Today, January 20, the miners are said to have gone back to their respective homes safe and sound.
Hallmark Mining also donated food provisions to 236 families in Macambol and 102 families in Cabuaya who are affected by the flooding. (CIO MATI)
