2 miners dug out from Tuba landslide

Tuba, Benguet , Philippines   – Two pocket miners were dug out dead from a huge landslide that buried their temporary shelter while pocket mining along Barangay Padcal here.

Cesar Panganiban, 26, from Aurora province and Alvin Sabbang, 20, from Quirino province were dug out by rescuers more than three hours after a huge landslide occurred that buried their shelter at around 5 a.m. yesterday.

Their colleague – Orly Aglibot, 17, from Suyo town, Ilocos Sur was luckier as he was brought to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center for treatment from various wounds caused by the tragedy.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR claimed the mining operations by the victims were not government sanctioned because they were operating illegally.

Earlier, the MGB asked the provincial government to act fast in registering all pocket and small scale miners in Benguet at the height of the tragedy along Itogon town where 16 pocket miners were trapped in an abandoned mine tunnel of the Benguet Corp. Nine miners were retrieved dead while seven mysteriously survived in their more than a week ordeal.

A month after the tragedy, three more pocket miners were retrieved dead inside another abandoned tunnel in Itogon after their oxygen supply reportedly ran out.

Sabbang, one of the victim, headed the Emerald Mountain Explorers Association, a small scale mining association not registered with the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board. 

MGB officials earlier hinted there is a sudden boom in pocket mining activities in Benguet, reason why government must be on its toes in regulating such to prevent accidents.–Philippine Star