The region of Cagayan has once again suffered severe flooding after typhoons Marce, Nika and super typhoon Ofel made landfall in the region. Based on the latest situation report from the NDRRMC, at least 43 municipalities were flooded due to Marce while the combined effects of Nika and Ofel led to massive flooding in 169 municipalities across Cagayan region. This comes while many residents are still reeling from the effects of typhoon Leon, with extensive rain and storm surges devastating the coastal towns of Sta. Ana, Gonzaga, and Aparri.

Industrial projects, including large-scale magnetite iron mining operations by JDVC Resources Corporation (a subsidiary of Apollo Global Capital Inc.), have exacerbated the vulnerability of Cagayan Valley’s coastal communities. These foreign-owned extractive operations, ongoing since 2010, removed natural sea barriers and worsened storm surges that destroyed light-material homes and fishing boats during onslaught of typhoons.

In northeastern Cagayan, where flooding was most severe, quarry operations by powerful corporations and local officials have stripped the landscape, leaving communities without adequate flood protection. Key rivers like the Alucao, Mission, and Pateng overflowed, submerging towns such as Sta. Teresita, Buguey, and Gonzaga. These rivers serve as sources of sand and gravel for Cagayan’s infrastructure projects, controlled by DDT Konstract Inc. and DATAJ Aquafarm Inc., companies allegedly linked to influential figures such as Danilo Tamayo and Mayor Marilyn Pentecostes of Gonzaga.

KMP demands an immediate halt to these destructive projects and calls for accountability from local and national officials and corporations whose greed continues to endanger communities in the region.

Meanwhile, monocrop farming of cash crops like yellow corn has exacerbated deforestation and weakened soil resilience, leading to increased landslides and reduced water retention. Use of highly-hazardous pesticide glyphosate has degraded the land, depriving it of its ability to hold rainwater and reducing Cagayan Valley’s capacity to withstand the impact of typhoons.

KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos challenges the Marcos Jr. administration to halt destructive mining, logging, and quarrying projects across Cagayan Valley. These ventures are profiteering at the cost of environmental safety and local livelihoods. The administration’s superficial response of distributing aid to Cagayan cannot mask the failures and complicity of government and corporate forces behind the environmental destruction of Cagayan Valley.

“The people of Cagayan demand immediate action to protect their homes, rivers, and farmlands from exploitative projects. Genuine solutions to the region’s environmental crisis require a halt on the exploitative mining and quarrying operations and a thorough review of policies that favor profit over people’s safety. Relief operations are just stopgap measures—the region needs lasting, sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being and safety of all Cagayanos,” says Ramos, also a Makabayan senatorial candidate.

KMP struggled to contact its chapters and farmer-members in Cagayan and Isabela in the past days due to widespread power and telecommunications outages. Damaged cables and power lines have left many residents in affected areas without electricity, internet, or phone service. ##

(Images from Danggayan Cagayan Valley)