Marcos may certify some bills on small-scale mining as 'urgent'

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday underscored the need for small-scale mining firms operating outside the bounds of law to start following relevant regulations for the sake of their workers.

“Gusto natin ma-legalize ang mga small-scale mining firms kasi madami sa kanila illegal, kaya walang protection ang mga minero," Marcos said in his meeting during the day with top environment officials in Malacanang, according to the Office of the Press Secretary.

(We want all small-scale mining firms to operate legally. Many of them are illegal that's why their miners also have no protection from the law.)

"Gusto nating palakasin ang regulatory framework para maka-operate sila ng legal, upang mabigyan ang ating minero ng assistance at protection para sa ligtas nilang pagtatrabaho," he added.

(We want to strengthen our regulatory framework so they can operate legally, and for the miners to get assistance and protection, and safe workplaces.)

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"Ang kawawa diyan ‘yung mga miners. They're really not... they have no safety. Ang daming namamatay," Marcos said of miners who lack proper training and work with inadequate safety measures.

(It's the miners that suffer the most... Many of them die.)

Small-scale mining, under Republic Act 7076 or the Act Creating A People's Small-Scale Mining Program, pertains to activities that rely heavily on manual labor using simple implementations and methods, the OPS said.

It is defined as one that "does not use explosives or heavy mining equipment", it added.

AMENDING SOME LAWS

The OPS said Marcos "may certify as urgent" some measures on small-scale mining, which includes amendments to RA 7076 "to incentivize" the sector and provide social assistance and labor protection to workers.

"I think for now the need is for the regulatory capabilities, especially the small scale," Marcos said.

Agusan del Sur Rep. Eddiebong Plaza last year filed a measure seeking to amend the 30-year-old law for the same reasons.

Plaza said that amending it would open up growth and development in the countryside, particularly in the uplands and ancestral domain of the Indigenous Peoples (IP).

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, according to the OPS, committed to review the country's mining laws to ensure that standards are updated, among others.

DENR Usec. Jonas Leones said earlier this month that under the Mineral Investment Promotion Program, the agency will address illegal mining, particularly small scale mining operations through the assessment and declaration of the “Minahang Bayan” areas where small-scale mining will be confined and regulated.

It will also undertake geological survey and mapping to populate the geoscientific and mineral information database, as well as rehabilitation and remediation of the remaining 11 abandoned mines to address the persistent misinformation that has stigmatized the mining industry.

The other policy directions in the mining sector, according to Leones, include the following:

- design of mineral extraction models with minimal environmental footprints
- identification of new mineral reserves and the use of technological support for decision making
- bidding out of national government mining assets such as those under the Philippine Mining Development Corporation
- development and expansion of roads, power and other infrastructure support to mineralized areas through the Department of Public Works and Highway
- construction of modular mineral processing plants such as those for steel and nickel
- conduct of studies of mine rehabilitation
- reuse of mining waste and tailings and acid mine grain management; and,
- integration of small scale mining sector into the industry

Leones said the DENR will ensure that mining firms will strictly implement their respective Safety and Health program, Environmental Protection and Enhancement program, Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan, and Social Development Management.

According to the official, the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has initially identified approximately 9 million hectares as potential mineral areas, although only less than 3 percent are awarded as mining contracts.

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