Kasibu town council seeks mining permit revocation

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya — The municipal council of Kasibu has formally requested environmental authorities to revoke the exploration permit of a mining company following heightened community tensions and ongoing civil resistance across affected villages.

Under Municipal Resolution No. 542, the Sangguniang Bayan urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau to cancel Exploration Permit No. EP0000291, issued to North Luzon Mineral Resources Corporation (NLMRC).

The permit covers 4,456 hectares across Barangays Pao and Kakiduguen.

Local officials disclosed that the request was prompted by adverse social consequences in the community, citing growing divisions, social unrest, and threats to public order stemming from the company’s pending operations.

Residents of Barangays Pao and Kakiduguen established community barricades to physically prevent NLMRC from conducting gold and copper exploration on their ancestral lands.

Local farmers and Indigenous leaders contend that the mining permit was granted without genuine free, prior, and informed consent or adequate public consultations.

Community blockades have prevented drilling rigs, supply trucks, and heavy machinery from entering critical watershed and agricultural zones over concerns regarding environmental degradation, water contamination and crop destruction.

Confrontations intensified after local police forces intervened to clear access routes for NLMRC machinery, leading to the dispersal of blockades and the arrest of several Indigenous leaders and residents on charges of grave coercion and disobedience.

Courts subsequently issued temporary restraining orders prohibiting community members from setting up road blockades against company vehicles.

Despite facing criminal charges, legal expenses and police interventions, affected residents continue to demand the immediate cancellation of NLMRC’s permit and the recognition of their ancestral land rights.