DAVAO CITY – Behind the plans for the new Masara Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) is a story of balancing local livelihoods with the need for safety and project continuity. On November 14, 2025, a meeting brought together large-scale mining executives, regulatory bodies, and local small-scale miners to find a way forward for Sitio Bunlang, Davao de Oro.
For many years, families in Brgy. New Leyte have used small-scale mining to support their homes. However, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-XI) and Apex Mining Co. Inc. (AMCI) explained that these activities are now located exactly where the Masara Dam spillway and relevant pipeline structures must be built. This spillway is a critical safety structure needed to protect the community from environmental risks posed by its mine tailings.
Protecting a Government Asset
This 19,000-hectare project area, known as AFTA-00014-XI, is a government property originally under the North Davao Mining Corporation and is now managed by the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) for the state.
Through a Joint Operating Agreement and Deed of Assignment, Asia Alliance Mining Resources Corp. (AAMRC)—a subsidiary of AMCI—has been given the right to explore, develop, and utilize the area responsibly. This partnership ensures that AMCI can sustain its production levels, provide stable employment, and pay community taxes well beyond 2032. Protecting this tenement from unregulated activity is a vital mandate to safeguard the state-owned subsurface resources and ensure the longevity of the region’s mining industry.
THE MAIN CHALLENGE | Safety & Law
During the open forum, local miners asked for a “win-win solution,” explaining that they have invested a lot of money and hard work into their tunnels and procesing facilities. They rely on mining to send their children to school and pay for daily needs.
In response, MGB-XI Regional Director Beverly Mae M. Brebante acknowledged their worries but reminded everyone that the law must be followed. Currently, these local operations do not have a Small-Scale Mining Contract or a permit within a Minahang Bayan. Furthermore, their tunnels are blocking the construction of the TSF spillway, which puts the whole community at risk if the dam cannot be finished properly.
To continue their trade, MGB-XI and AMCI suggested ways to help the miners go legal:
Building a safer future
The meeting ended with a clear plan. While illegal mining products and structures cannot be compensated for by the company, AMCI and the government are willing to help those who want to follow the law.
The LGU of Maco also promised to update their permit rules so they match national laws, ensuring that aspiring miners shall first secure small scale mining contracts before the office issues them a business permit