Mine firm faces hurdles on MPSA renewal

The government decided to delay further its decision on the renewal of the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) permit that will allow Hinatuan Mining Corporation (HMC), a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), to continue operating in Manicani, a small island off Eastern Samar.

Citing strong opposition on HMC's operations, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wilfredo Moncano said that the government decided to look further into the issue and see whether or not it will renew the company's permit.

Without a renewed MPSA, a company could no longer continue its mining operations. It was just last month when HMC's MPSA lapsed.

"Actually, we are studying the issues on HMC now because there's a very strong opposition against them. And the Environment Secretary [Roy Cimatu] is still measuring it. But if you will look at the existing law, mukhang sasabit siya [the company may fail to get a renewal]," Moncano told reporters on the sidelines of the 64th Annual National Mine Safety and Safety Conference (ANMSEC).

Moncano said there might be some "legal issue" as to certain provisions of the existing MPSA granted to HMC,

The World Bank has commended the Philippines for being among the world’s advanced economies in terms of developing viable solutions for disaster risk financing, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

Finance Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Paola Alvarez said World Bank officials also expressed willingness to assist the Philippines as chair of the APEC Working Group on Disaster Risk Financing Solutions during the group’s recent meeting in Vietnam.

The APEC working group is chaired by the Philippines through the DOF, which called the meeting to discuss the terms of reference and work plan on disaster risk finance for 2018, Alvarez said in her report to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III. Alvarez said “all the economies present recognized such as whether the operation should be allowed in the first place since it is near a watershed.

"First, there is a proclamation of areas near watershed and there is provision in the Executive Order 79 about island ecosystem," Moncano said. "There's another constraint, which is the [Presidential] Proclamation 469 declaring coastal areas of Manicani, Guian, and Homonhon as a protected area."