Called the Boneng Mines, this open-pit site was operated by the Western Minolco Mining Corporation in the 1970s. They abandoned the site in the early 1980s.
It looks green now but according to the locals it was a wasteland when the mining firm abandoned it in the 1980s. That's nearly 50 years ago. Be that as it may, the landscape in the area has not fully recovered from the effects of open-pit mining.
When the mining firm left, development and rehabilitation of the site largely relied on the locals and communities near the site.
This is a mine that had substantial impacts on three Benguet towns - Kibungan, Atok, and Kapangan.
Mining firms always say they bring development to the communities and lands they mine. Do they? The answer lies in the scarred landscapes they leave behind and the stories of the locals who had to rebuild these sites once mining firms abandon them.
"Kalsada mi tupay ditoy ket lubak-lubak." Kuna diay maysa nga local in Lubo a few years ago.
