Manila, July 16 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order (EO) 88, strengthening the National Task Force Diwalwal, which oversees mining operations within the Diwalwal Mineral Reservation Area (DMRA), an 81-hectare gold-rich zone in Monkayo, Davao de Oro.
Under EO 88 inked by Marcos on July 4, Marcos ordered the reconstitution of the National Task Force Diwalwal, designating the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the new task force chairperson.
"It has been observed that unauthorized mining activities have resumed in the DMRA, making it imperative to strengthen Task Force Diwalwal to ensure that concerns regarding illegal mining activities, environmental degradation, and socio-...