DENR to fast-track declaration of certain areas as Minahang Bayan

As part of its crackdown on illegal mining activities in the country, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently came up with a couple of things — the creation of task force and the possible declaration of certain areas as Minahang Bayan.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday vowed to fasttrack Minahang Bayan applications following his recent order to shut down illegal small-scale mines.

This was days after he visited certain areas in Itogon, Benguet which are being applied for as Minahang Bayan by small-scale miners.

These areas are the Antamok, which is covered by the patented area of Benguet Corporation, and the Gold Creek area, which falls within Gold Creek Mining Corporation’s mining patent.

Cimatu promised to fast-track Minahang Bayan applications in these areas so that small-scale mining operations will be legalized and regulated in certain areas.

So far, no Minahang Bayan has been declared in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Based on the data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), there are currently 65 pending applications for Minahang Bayan in CAR. Some of these have been endorsed to the MGB Central Office, while some still have documentary requirements which are yet to be completed.

Last week, Cimatu led the blasting of 18 mine tunnels at Sitio Basa, Camp 4 in Tuba, Benguet.

This was just an initial step to the DENR’s bid to crack down illegal mining activities in the country.

“We have to implement the law,” Cimatu stressed, adding that no small-scale mining activities should be undertaken outside a declared Minahang Bayan.

He also noted that some of these operations make use of sodium cyanide which is highly toxic. In addition, small-scale miners do not have safety hazard control measures in their operations.

“I sympathize with these people. What they are doing is very dangerous. I hope they can find other ways to earn for a living other than illegal mining,” Cimatu said.

The mine tunnels ordered closed by Cimatu had intruded the military reservation of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

Apparently, illegal mining operations in the reservation persisted despite a stoppage order issued by the MGB-CAR in 2013.

To deal with this, Cimatu has issued Special Order No. 53 creating the National Task Force on Mining Challenge (NTF MC).

The task force would ensure strict implementation of existing mining policies and regulations, as well as other related environmental laws.

The task force had so far cracked down illegal small-scale mining activities within the vicinities of the PMA; Brgy. Kias in Baguio City; and Camp 4 in Benguet which led to the closure of several adits and confiscation of mineral products, chemicals, and several equipment used by small-scale miners.

Cimatu said the task force would help the DENR and its MGB in implementing not only mining rules, but also other environmental laws, such as those on pollution and illegal logging, which mining operations may have violated.

“Mining operations affect such a huge part of our environment, and are often covered by many interrelated environmental laws that cannot be addressed by the MGB alone,” he pointed out.

The NTF MC, which now serves as the enforcement arm of the DENR, is expected to roam around the country to shut down illegal mines which do not only pose threat to the environment, but also to the lives of small-scale miners.

The Task Force will also run after illegal importers, retailers and distributors of explosives and cyanide which are commonly used in small-scale mining operations.