The DENR probe into Woggle comes as pressure builds on authorities to tighten oversight of mining firms and uphold environmental and indigenous rights protections in the province.
In Villanueva, Misamis Oriental — where two coal-fired power plants dominate the skyline — residents live with health worries they’ve grown almost accustomed to. Many have accepted the trade-off, valuing the jobs and outreach programs the power companies bring. But not Baby Calion. For her, the only solution is to leave town.
Photos of the bypass road shared on social media show thin concrete layers, sunken portions, and repeated resurfacing despite the project not being fully connected from the Department of Health (DOH) regional office in Barangay Carig to the Bagay By-Pass Road.
The Nueva Vizcaya road collapse underscores persistent concerns over public safety and the urgent need for accountability in DPWH infrastructure projects.
“This is the worst flooding we’ve seen in years. Where did all the money for flood control go?” one resident wrote in a Facebook post.
The group called on the Filipino people to continue expressing their sentiments and unleashing people power against corrupt contractors, politicians, and government officials.
A newly constructed section of a road-widening project in Barangay Kirang, Aritao collapsed early Friday morning, sending a tomato-loaded jeepney crashing into a ravine and leaving at least two people injured.
For the past 20 years, across four presidential terms, the same contractors have been awarded the largest public works contracts. Whether the president is a Marcos, a Duterte, an Aquino or an Arroyo, many politically well-connected firms have outbidded all others, cornering a disproportionate chunk of the lucrative public works projects funded from the people’s taxes.
Without the collapsed bridge as a passage, residents have been forced to an overflow steel bridge, but which becomes impassable, too, whenever the river swells after a heavy downpour.
The government’s move to retire its last coal plant is expected to send a strong signal to private coal plant owners that the reign of fossil fuels is ending. Following the buyout of a huge power conglomerate, officials are stalling on plans to shut down STEAG Mindanao Coal in Misamis Oriental, citing supply-security arguments that climate change activists insist have no basis in science.
