Benguet undertakes project fostering small scale mining

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- An ongoing project on fostering transparency and accountability and worthwhile reforms among stakeholders in the small scale mining industry in the province is seen to move forward the concerns of the sector.

The Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc (JVOFI) leads the implementation of the project dubbed, “Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Participation in Small-Scale Gold Mining Governance in Benguet” funded under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This is part of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), a multi-stakeholder transparency initiative for the extractives sector, which taps civil society organizations to implement and promote activities designed to expand and promote the EITI process.

This worldwide undertaking of which the Philippines is a signatory in 2013, now includes the small scale mining sector in the country.

JVOFI Executive Director Maria Rosario Lopez said they are on the process of establishing a multi-stakeholders group with members coming from concerned government agencies, people’s organizations, small scale mining sector, and the academe.

The multi-stakeholder group will come up with a common action plan which seeks to move forward the small scale mining sector concerns.

Apart from the creation of a multi-stakeholder group, the project also aims to come up with a baseline data through the conduct of scoping study to determine the extent of the province’s small scale gold mining, engage government entities such as the Department of Environment and natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and local governments in promoting transparency and accountability in the small scale mining sector in the 13 municipalities of Benguet.

It further aims to increase public understanding and awareness of the impact of small scale gold mining on natural resource governance, small scale mining laws and EITI standards in the small scale gold mining communities.

Earlier, various stakeholders such as concerned national government agencies, local government units including small scale miners had a leveling off of issues

and concerns regarding the small scale mining situation in the province and came up with , inputs and suggestions.

All the issues and concerns raised will serve as inputs in the succeeding components of the project and in pushing forward effective governance which may contribute in putting into order the small scale mining sector. PIA – Benguet