DENR stops Paoay treasure hunters; files raps

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

PAOAY, Ilocos Norte—The Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the province stopped an alleged treasure hunting activity along Culili Point at Brgy. Masintoc in this town.

Aside from the activity’s stoppage, the DENR has also filed criminal and administrative charges against 20 people, whom they said were involved in the said activity.

Based on DENR’s initial investigation, Oliver Cadang, development management officer under the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the alleged treasure hunters dug tunnels and has damaged a geological monument in the said area.

Mr. Cadang, who led the team that stopped the activity, said they confiscated equipment and other machineries and tools at the site.

Assisted by the Paoay police, the team found four dug holes measuring 17 meters deep and some tunnels constructed as passageway for diggers. The dig area is on top of a mountain-like corral rock formation, which offers a panoramic view of the West Philippine Sea.

Upon verification by concerned authorities, the document presented by the treasure hunters appears to be fictitious and there was also no signage at the excavation area.

The DENR also noted that the land classification is a timberland which means the hunters illegally occupied it, hence, violating Section 79 of Presidential Decree 705 otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines. The amount of estimated damage has yet to be determined by the DENR personnel.

Prior to the confiscation of the hunters’ equipment now impounded at the DENR-Ilocos Norte, the same group has been forewarned in late August to vacate the area when they were still setting up equipment but apparently, the group returned and proceeded digging holes without the necessary permit.

According to local residents, there had been several attempts in previous years to excavate the area as it was believed there was gold in it.

"This is just so brazen! Ang sama naman nitong mga taong ito said Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Mariano “Nonong” Marcos II who chairs the board's committee on environment. 

The DENR did not identify any of the suspects.

For his part, Paoay mayor Jessie Galano said the group merely requested to dig up a well until he found out the illegal treasure hunting operation.

Across the Southeast Asian region, Ilocos Norte is gifted with a natural desert environment, which is attracting thousands of tourists to visit the Ilocos Norte sand dunes that spans across the municipalities of Currimao, Paoay, Laoag, and Pasuquin. Due to its natural beauty, geological uniqueness, and scientific relevance, the Ilocos Norte sand dunes has been declared as a national geological monument (NGM) on Nov. 26, 1993, through a presidential proclamation.

Records show that the only three other sites that have been declared as NGM in the country are: the Hundred Islands National Park off-coast Pangasinan, the Taal Lake and Volcano Protected Landscape in Batangas, and the Chocolate Hills in the island of Bohol.