House Bill No. 4799 declaring Cagayan de Oro City as mining-free zone has just passed the House committee panel on natural resources.

Authored by Cagayan de Oro City 2nd Dist. Rep. Maximo B. Rodriguez Jr., the measure was approved with an amendment which excludes gravel, sand and other non-metallic minerals from the coverage of the proposed law.

Rodriguez’s law stemmed from the illegal mining operations in the city’s hinterland barangays such as Dansolihon, Mambuaya, Taglimao, Tapangi, Tuburan and Tumpagon which have been blamed for the flashfloods in the downstream area of the city.

Cagayan de Oro city was declared under state of calamity by local officials early Tuesday after a massive flooding in the city spawned by two weather disturbances.

“City council declared a state of calamity in Cagayan de Oro City after holding an emergency session at 1 a.m. today, Jan. 17, 2017,” the local government of Cagayan de Oro posted on its Facebook page.

A low pressure area and the tail-end of a cold front caused heavy flooding on Monday in Cagayan de Oro City and other parts of Misamis Oriental.

Classes in preschool, elementary and high school were suspended in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday due to the rains and floods. Classes in the college level will depend on the discretion of the school heads.

Forced evacuation was also carried out in the villages of Tumpagon, Pigsag-an, Lumbia, Tuburan, Pagalungan, Sansimon, Iponan, Blua, Pagatpat and Canitoan.

Code Red was also raised over Iponan River by local officials, prompting forced evacuation.

A state of calamity will allow the local government to have access to funds for relief operations and related assistance.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PH - Local businessmen and representatives of various organizations in the city of Cagayan de Oro gathered in the CDPI third national conference on the proposal to shift to Federal-Parliamentary system.

According to statement by Mr. Aldrico Manus, former President of Oro Chamber, they [local businessmen] are too enthusiastic to be part of a real political party that promotes less government control and full of participation of citizens in the decision making process.