By E.H. EDEJER | May 5, 2026

SUBIC, Zambales — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has stopped the operations of a mining company here for violating DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2025-17, which imposed transparency requirements for mining activities.

Noel B. Lacadin, director of the DENR Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Luzon (MGB-III), issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) on Monday, May 4, against Fortuna Mining Corporation, which has applied for mining exploration in Subic, as well as the neighboring towns of Castillejos and San Antonio in Zambales.

Lacadin and technical personnel from MGB-III, along with Subic Mayor Jonathan Khonghun and local officials, inspected Fortuna’s mining exploration site at Barangay Cawag in Subic on Monday.

In the CDO addressed to Fortuna president Ze Hong Zhuang Tan, Lacadin said an inspection conducted by MGB-III technical personnel found out that the mining firm was “exploring without fully complying with the conditions of Exploration Permit No. EP-001-2026-III.”

Lacadin said the permit specifically required Fortuna to provide proof of consultation and endorsement by the Sanggunian concerned, and to secure certification from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) prior to conducting exploration.

“Perusal of our records (showed) that no such proof of consultation and NCIP certification were presented and submitted to our office which is a violation of Section 21-A of DAO 2025-17 and the exploration permit itself,” Lacadin told Zhuang Tan.

DAO 2025-17, which provided implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, streamlined requirements and procedures for exploration permit applications, but maintained requirements to safeguard environmental and community rights. It also aligned national mining policies with broader national development priorities and sustainability frameworks.

The Manila-based Fortuna Mining Corp. (which is not connected with the major Canadian mining firm with the same name), has applied for exploration permit for limestone mining in three areas in Zambales: Barangay Cawag in Subic; Pundakit in San Antonio; and Looc and Balaybay in Castillejos town.

Fortuna applied for exploration permit with MGB-III on February 19 last year, and the Bureau posted a notice of its application on January 16 this year, designating the application as EXPA000278 III.

MGB-III, however, has not yet posted on its website any specific schedule for public consultation or hearing on the Fortuna application.

Subic town officials said on Monday that Fortuna has agreed to remove all its equipment from the mining exploration site in Cawag in compliance with the CDO from the DENR. ▲