MGB seeks acceptable ways to remove giant dredger in Leyte

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is working to find mutually acceptable ways to remove the massive cutter suction dredger deployed by a mining firm to extract minerals in this town, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) said.

MGB Eastern Visayas Regional Director, Glenn Marcelo Noble, said that the agency has been meeting with Strong Built Mining Development Corp. (SBMDC) and affected residents to determine the best method for pulling out the dredger.

“We want the dredger to be pulled out from the roadside through means acceptable to both parties,” Noble said.

During a meeting earlier this week, SBMDC presented several proposals for removing the dredger, which is roughly the size of a six-story building, measuring about 30 meters wide and 150 meters long.

Bernard Baluda, SBMDC assistant vice president for compliance, said that the options include rotating the dredger toward the shore or allowing it to cross the highway to create more maneuvering space.

According to PNA, affected farmers are calling for the dredger to be moved backward or dismantled into scrap to prevent further damage to their farms.

The giant dredger arrived in Leyte in early January and moved inland in MacArthur town for several weeks before it was stopped in mid-February from crossing the national highway due to strong opposition from farmers affected by black sand mining.