CANTILAN, Surigao del Sur — In a bold and unconventional policy move that cuts against the grain of mining-dominated local governance in Caraga, Cantilan Mayor Rodrigo L. Eleazar has officially endorsed a draft ordinance declaring the municipality’s protected watershed areas as “No-Go Zones for Mining.”
The endorsement, submitted to the Legislative Department on January 7, 2026 following the Mayor’s action last November 27, 2025, was received by Vice Mayor Liberty G. Cale, who assured the executive office that the measure will be forwarded to the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Environment for deliberation.
The proposed ordinance seeks to prohibit mining activities in identified watershed and protected areas within Cantilan—zones critical for water security, agriculture, disaster prevention, and ecological balance. While similar initiatives are often blocked or diluted in mining regions, Cantilan’s move stands out as orthodox and politically daring, especially given that the municipality and its neighboring towns are widely known as mining zones.
This decision effectively places people over profit, farms over fast money, and the future over short-term gains.
A Farmer-Mayor Taking a Stand
Mayor Eleazar, himself a farmer, expressed deep appreciation to civic organizations and concerned citizens who brought the draft ordinance to his office.
“This is a big step in our call to restore our farmlands in the downstream and protect our environment especially our watershed areas,” the Mayor said.
His words are not merely symbolic. In a province where mining companies pour in millions of pesos in revenues, permits, and corporate social responsibility funds, Eleazar’s endorsement signals a clear and deliberate choice: agriculture and environmental protection over extractive industries that benefit only a few.
This is a rare stance in a region where mining is often treated as untouchable and local leaders are pressured—politically and financially—to fall in line.
Learning from Disaster
The Mayor underscored that the policy direction is anchored in climate resilience, citing the recent devastation brought by Tropical Depression Verbena, which caused massive flooding in parts of Cantilan.
He stressed the need for strict environmental policy compliance to prevent a recurrence of such disasters, noting that degraded watersheds and denuded mountainsides worsen flooding, soil erosion, and crop destruction.
Protecting watershed areas, he emphasized, is not just about trees and rivers—it is about food security, community safety, and survival.
Against the Tide of Mining
Cantilan’s stance is particularly striking because adjacent municipalities are heavily into mining operations, and even Cantilan itself is classified as a mining zone. In many LGUs, mining is seen as an economic lifeline. In reality, however, it often leaves behind silted rivers, damaged farmlands, displaced communities, and long-term environmental costs that far outweigh the short-term financial benefits.
By endorsing the No-Go Zone ordinance, Mayor Eleazar is effectively rejecting the culture of dependency on mining money and choosing a development path that is sustainable, inclusive, and future-looking.
“I trust that my former colleagues in the legislative department will carry out a decision that will ultimately redound to the town’s common good… this will surely benefit not just a few,” the Mayor said.
An Orthodox and Courageous Choice
This move is orthodox not because it is common—but because it is morally correct.
In a region where mining is often defended at all costs, choosing agriculture and watershed protection is a form of quiet rebellion. It is a declaration that clean water is more valuable than royalties, that rice fields matter more than heavy equipment, and that the lives of farmers outweigh corporate profits.
This is not an easy political decision. Mining brings money, machinery, sponsorships, and political convenience. It is far easier to say yes than to say no. Yet, Mayor Eleazar chose to say no—and that is precisely why this action resonates.
A farmer-Mayor defending farmland.
A local chief executive choosing agriculture over extraction.
A municipality prioritizing long-term food security over short-term income.
A Message Beyond Cantilan
If passed, the ordinance will not only protect Cantilan’s watersheds. It will send a powerful message to Surigao del Sur and the entire Caraga Region:
that development does not have to mean destruction,
that progress does not require poisoned rivers,
and that leadership can still be brave.
Mining promises millions.
But floods cost lives.
Silted farms cost livelihoods.
Destroyed watersheds cost generations.
Agriculture, on the other hand, feeds. It sustains. It employs many, not just a few. It looks forward, not just at quarterly profits.
In a mining zone, Cantilan is choosing to be a no-go zone for greed—and a go zone for life, food, and the future. 🌱