Emergency Employment Program for displaced ball-mill operators in Mt. Diwalwal

Davao de Oro Province---When the movement “Lihok Alang sa Naboc” started its operation to rehabilitate the polluted Naboc River, where for over 25 years served as a catchment basin for all waste coming from mining operations in Mt. Diwalwal, more or less 300 small mineral processing plant operations were ceased, temporarily displacing one of the residents’ source of income.

It can be recalled that an intervention has been made relocating them to a proper site in Mabatas Area wherein their operations can take place as the zone has a containment facility preventing direct discharge of waste to the river.

With this, another intervention was made through the initiative of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) under the Provincial Government of Davao de Oro in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its Emergency Employment Program, giving jobs to former ball-mill operators and employees.

A total of 136 former operators availed the program with a daily wage of Php 396.00. The said program lasted for 20 days with a budget of more or less 1.1 million pesos from DOLE. Pay out for their wages will be thru MLhullier estimated to be released on June 25, 2020 onwards.

To date, ball-mills were transferred in the Mabatas Area wherein they can resume their operations without sacrificing the Naboc River. (Jasteen Abella, ID DAVAO DE ORO)