By: Rey Anthony Ostria, INQInquirer Southern Luzon, May 04, 2017
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Two of the gold panners buried when a shallow pit in the mining town of Aroroy in Masbate province collapsed Wednesday were found dead after hours of search, Police Chief Inspector Ariel Dayap Neri, Aroroy chief of police, said on Thursday.
The body of John Philip Grego, 28, was found at 4:44 p.m. on Wednesday while the body of Aljun Balbuena was found at around 8 a.m. Thursday in Sitio (sub-village) Bagong Sirang, Barangay (village) Panique.
Neri said the victims and five other small scale mine workers entered the old mining site which had been closed. He said the men were panning gold when the soil above them collapsed at around 8:30 a.m., burying the workers.
Rescuers were able to pull out five of the miners alive. They are now being treated at Aroroy Municipal Hospital.
Following reports of the collapse, Jamon Espares, Masbate second district board member, handed the victims and their families financial help.
“I ask for the full closure of the Filminera Resources Corporation in Aroroy and to tighten security in the area that they are claiming,” he said. He also said that the closure would prevent panners from entering the area and the tunnels.
In a statement, the Filminera management said that they have been doing their part in protecting their Mineral Production Sharing Agreement from illegal small scale mining through information dissemination in the communities.
The Filminera management also said that an average of 16 illegal small-scale miners have been apprehended every month by FRC security.
The company also encouraged the local government and police of Aroroy to help them deter their constituents from conducting unregulated and unsafe small scale mining practices. SFM/rga
June 2025
Philippine Environment Month!
“Action for Nature, for the Future!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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Monthly Observances:
1 Jun – World Day of Parents
5 Jun – World Environment Day
7 Jun – World Food Safety Day
8 Jun – World Oceans Day
12 Jun – World Day Against Child Labour
15 Jun – World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
16 Jun – International Day of Family Remittances
17 Jun – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
20 Jun – World Refugee Day
25 Jun – Day of the Seafarer
27 Jun – Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day
Daily Observances:
June 6: Migrant Workers Day
June 19: Filipino Youth Day
June 25: Day of the Filipino Seafarer
