LUNETA MINERS ASSO. (ITOGON) CONDUCTS CLEAN-UP DRIVE

May 20, 2023 Provincial

Sustaining group’s environmental program…

ITOGON, Benguet

Pocket miners belonging to Luneta Miners Association, Inc. (LMA) conducted a massive clean-up drive at Sitio Luneta, Barangay Loacan-Antamok here. LMA president John Latongan and other officials Pablo Tudlong and Ken Besyaken spearheaded the clean-up activity on May 13 at the said mining community. As early as 6 o’clock, local pocket miners begun scaling mountain slopes surrounding the mining village and the Antamok River and its tributaries to collect garbage.

By mid-morning, the group of pocket miners moved to the surrounding Benguet Corp (BC) abandoned Antamok Open pit mine area and picked-up nonbiogradable wastes which include plastic containers and bottles. Demonstrating true bayanihan spirit, families of pocket miners, as well as residents in the community – old and young including some womens group helped in the
cleanliness drive. “Today’s clean-up drive is a regular activity of our group.It’s our commitment to
protect our environment and promote health and safety ,” Latongan said in the vernacular.

Latongan added that the activity is also in support to the environmental efforts of their municipal government as well as the province. Latongan also expressed his gratitude to the local pocket miners’ volunteerism , their leaders/operators, and the whole community support, and also the assistance extended by the local police force of Itogon. Tudlong for his part said the clean-up drive is in line with Benguet Federation of SmallScale Miners’ (BFSSMI) environmental health- safety
program.

Years, residents complained their mining village had become “catch basin” of all kinds of wastes, especially coming from the upper stream. They appealed to authorities concerned and to local government units to help them address the problem. For the record, in the morning of July 27 (2022), LMA pocket miners and residents of the mining village were doing a clean-up when the when a quake struck the region. Minutes after the quake, unmindful of the aftershocks, the group went on to clear and collect garbage flowed down the river and surrounding the open pit mine areas.

Primo Agatep/ABN