The Sangguniang Bayan (town council) of Dupax del Norte has urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to file criminal charges against Woggle Corp. and its personnel for alleged violations of forestry laws, escalating tensions over a disputed mining project in the area.
In a resolution unanimously approved during the council’s 14th regular session on October 20, local legislators cited findings by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)-Dupax that Woggle’s road upgrading work at Sitio Keon led to unauthorized cutting and destruction of at least 16 trees of various species along the proposed road alignment.
The Local Government Unit of Dupax del Norte is committed to upholding environmental protection, the preservation of natural resources, and the enforcement of environmental laws within its jurisdiction,” the resolution reads.
The Cenro report found that two of the felled trees, located within a lot covered by a Certificate of Land Ownership Award under the name of Jonathan Kinchay, were felled using a chainsaw.
The council pointed out that the company’s tree-cutting permit is still pending approval from the DENR.
The council said the tree-cutting activities undertaken by Woggle constitute violations of Presidential Decree 705, or the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, which prohibits the cutting or destruction of trees without the required authority.
The council also resolved to forward copies of the resolution to the CENRO-Dupax, the provincial and regional DENR offices for appropriate action.
Local Resistance vs Woggle
Woggle Corporation has been attempting to conduct exploration activities in the upland portions of Barangays Bitnong since its Exploration Permit (EP) was approved by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
The permit, which covers 3,100 hectares of mineral-rich forest zones and farm lands in five Dupax Del Norte barangays, allows the company to explore potential deposits in the area.
Residents and local leaders have opposed Woggle’s entry, saying its exploration area overlaps with agricultural and forest lands and threatens local watersheds that feed the Upper Magat River Basin.
Environmental advocates and church groups have also questioned the process behind the permit’s approval, alleging that the required community consultations were not properly observed.
Earlier this year, residents from Sitio Keon accused Woggle of forcibly entering private property and clearing portions of forested areas without permission from private land owners.
Nueva Vizcaya’s Mining Disputes
The controversy surrounding Woggle adds to the long-standing mining tensions in Nueva Vizcaya, where two large-scale operations — OceanaGold Philippines Inc. in Didipio, Kasibu, and FCF Minerals Corp. in Runruno, Quezon — continue to face strong local opposition despite possessing government-approved permits.
Both projects have been the subject of environmental and human rights complaints over the years, with communities citing forest degradation, river siltation, and displacement of indigenous residents.
In 2021, environmental groups protested the national government’s renewal of OceanaGold’s financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA), saying it disregarded the provincial government’s earlier position against large-scale mining.
Dupax del Norte, located adjacent to these mining towns, has since declared a local moratorium on mining exploration and operations through previous resolutions, citing the need to protect the remaining forest and watershed ecosystems that serve as the province’s water source.
The latest council action against Woggle Corporation is seen as part of that continuing assertion of local autonomy and environmental stewardship amid what officials describe as “top-down” national decisions favoring mining investments. #
