By Dong My
Published on November 2025
The Last Shield of Luzon
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range is more than a breathtaking landscape—it’s the natural shield of Luzon. It absorbs the fiercest typhoons, safeguards lowland communities, and sustains countless species of plants and animals.
But recently, reports and viral satellite images have exposed alarming deforestation in parts of Isabela and Quezon, where mining operations have taken place. Companies like Dinapigue Mining Corporation (DMC) argue their projects are outside the protected zone and have full DENR and MGB permits.
The legality, however, does not erase the ethical question:
👉 Should mining ever be allowed near the heart of the Sierra Madre?
⚖️ The Legal Loophole
Under the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, firms can legally extract minerals if their sites lie beyond the boundary of declared protected areas.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) claims that DMC’s mining sites are outside the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park.
Yet, nature does not recognize man-made borders. Forests, rivers, and wildlife stretch beyond survey lines. When one section is disturbed, the entire ecosystem feels the damage.
🌳 The True Cost of Mining
Mining creates jobs—but it also strips forests, pollutes rivers, and destroys habitats. Even with promises of rehabilitation, nature’s scars can last for centuries.
The Sierra Madre provides:
Clean water for millions of Filipinos
Natural defense against floods and typhoons
Shelter for endangered species
Ancestral lands for Indigenous communities
Every mine that bites into its slopes weakens our nation’s defenses against climate disasters.
🗣️ Voices of the People
Local and Indigenous residents in the Sierra Madre foothills are torn. Some welcome job opportunities; others mourn the loss of forests and ancestral lands.
Their plea is simple:
> “If progress means destroying the mountain that protects us, is it still progress?”
🛑 What the Government Must Do
If the Philippine government truly values the Sierra Madre, it must act with urgency and integrity.
Here’s what must be done:
✅ Ban mining within at least 10 kilometers of all Sierra Madre protected zones.
✅ Enforce strict monitoring and make environmental audit reports public.
✅ Empower Indigenous and local communities to participate in decision-making.
✅ Impose rehabilitation and reforestation bonds before approving any new mining projects.
✅ Reforest degraded areas immediately, not “after the mining ends.”
💚 Protecting the Mother Mountain
Allowing mining near the Sierra Madre might be legal, but it is not moral.
Every tree cut and every mountain scarred is a betrayal of our children’s future.
The wealth beneath our soil cannot replace the life above it—the forests, rivers, and mountains that feed and protect us.
The Sierra Madre is the mother of all mountains, and she deserves nothing less than complete protection.
Conclusion
The question is not merely who allowed mining in the Sierra Madre—but
> Who will defend it before it’s gone forever?
Let us be that voice. Let us be that generation.
Because once the Sierra Madre falls, there will be nothing left to stand between us and the storms.
