Philippine Environment Department Denies Approving Mining in Sierra Madre Protected Areas
Key Takeaways
- •The DENR publicly rejected a social media claim that it had permitted mining within protected areas of the Sierra Madre, calling the post misleading.
- •The viral post alleged that MGB Regional Office II Director Mario M. Ancheta had allowed a nickel mining operation in Dinapigue, Isabela, within the Sierra Madre mountain range.
- •The DENR said the circulating post repurposed a 2025 headline that originally stated the mining site was located outside the Sierra Madre protected zone.
- •The agency reaffirmed that mining operations are conducted outside the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and its buffer zone, where mining is prohibited under Philippine environmental rules.
- •BusinessWorld has reached out to Ancheta's office for comment but has not received a reply, which would be the next official word on the allegation.
The Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday dismissed as “misleading” a social media claim that it had permitted mining within protected areas of the Sierra Madre.
The department issued the clarification after fact-checking a circulating online post alleging that Mario M. Ancheta, Director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Office II, had allowed a nickel mining operation in Dinapigue, Isabela, within the Sierra Madre mountain range. Nickel, the commodity at the center of the claim, is used chiefly in stainless steel and battery manufacturing, and the Philippines ranks among the world's leading producers of the metal.
According to the DENR, the post repurposed a 2025 headline — “Viral photo sparks concern; DENR says mining site outside Sierra Madre Protected Zone” — and rewrote it in a way that created the impression that the agency had authorized mining inside protected areas.
The DENR reiterated the MGB's assertion in the original article that mining operations are conducted outside the boundaries of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and its buffer zone. BusinessWorld has reached out to the office of Mr. Ancheta for further comment but has not received a reply; a response from the regional office would be the next official word on the allegation.
The department also reaffirmed that no disruptive activities are being carried out within protected sites. “DENR will never allow mining or any activity that disturbs strictly protected areas. We remain committed to upholding environmental laws and protecting the country's biodiversity and natural heritage,” it said. Under Philippine environmental rules, mining is prohibited within strictly protected zones.
The Sierra Madre runs along the eastern coast of the northern Philippine island of Luzon and is the country's longest mountain range. The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, located in Isabela province, is among the largest protected areas in the Philippines. The DENR is the government agency responsible for the conservation and management of the country's natural resources, with the MGB operating as its attached bureau.
— Maria Mikaela H. Tormon, BusinessWorld
Source: BusinessWorld
