As though dealing with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the aftereffects of the August 18 earthquake that struck Masbate were not stressful enough, residents of that province’s Aroroy town are now worried that concerns raised over the safety of the massive tailings pond of the Filminera Resources Corp.’s (FRC) gold mine there might shut down their biggest industry and largest employer.

The 6.6-magnitude earthquake did not cause significant damage in Aroroy — its epicenter was near Cataingan, about 150 kilometers to the south, at the other end of Masbate island — but it was evidently a wake-up call for Masbate Gov. Antonio Kho, who expressed fears that the tailings pond at the FRC mine might have been compromised by the quake, and could collapse if another strong one occurred.