Stoppage orders, ops set vs Cordillera small scale miners

MGB head to miners: Apply for permits 

By Jordan Malani

BAGUIO CITY – The regional Mines and Geosciences Bureau is set to start a crackdown on small scale mining activities in the regional particularly Benguet which has around 60 SSM groups with no permits.

MGB regional director Fay W. Apil bared this, saying SSM operations would be investigated even as she urged police to help the MGB in implementing cease and desist orders.

Apil urged SSM associations in the Cordillera to apply for permits so their operations would be considered legal.

Aside from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources  through MGB, other sectors such as the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board and City Mining Regulatory Board regulate SSM activities.

These agencies are set to review applications for small scale mining.

Small scale mining can only be done on areas proclaimed as “Minahang Bayan” (People’s Mining Area) as prescribed under the Executive Order 79.

Apil said anybody can apply for the “Minahang Bayan” but a process must be followed.

Applicants have to see to it that the areas being applied for are open for mining.

These areas should not fall under protected ones such as prime agricultural lands, tourism destination areas, and residential areas. It must also pass the area status and clearance.

The Benguet Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board issued a resolution for the identification of areas that can be applied to be declared as “Minahang Bayan” on 2014.

Small scale miners were primary applicants.

Apil said in Benguet there were about 60-62 associations and only 11 of which have permits to engage in mining activities. 

Others are still on the process of perfecting their applications so that the areas they mine will be declared as “Minahang Bayan”.

Small scale miners should have area clearances and should get consent from the land owners or from the large scale mining companies who have applied for the areas first or who have the mining rights over the areas.

Apil said government recognizes small scale mining one of main livelihoods of people but this that does not mean that concerned agencies will not regulate them.

She added they have been encouraging small scale miners to apply for permits and have their areas declared as “Minahang Bayan”.

Also, they have been issuing stoppage and cease and desist orders to small scale mining activities without permits.

“The sad part here is although we keep on issuing stoppage orders and CDOs, we do not have police power, so we need the assistance of the local government unit sand Philippine National Police to implement such orders, ” she said.

The Cordillera MGB is reportedly assisting small scale miners so their activities would be legalized and will be closely monitored like large scale miners.