By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Stakeholders join an MGB Region IV-A information session in Tagkawayan on the proposed declaration of a Mina...
.jpg "Tagkawayan backs closure of unpermitted mining operations") |
| Stakeholders join an MGB Region IV-A information session in Tagkawayan on the proposed declaration of a Minahang Bayan. (Tagkawayan PIO) |
TAGKAWAYAN, Quezon - Illegal small-scale mining operations in Tagkawayan, Quezon were shut down by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board for operating without permits. Closure orders covered sites outside areas approved for regulated small-scale mining.
Provincial regulators ordered the closure after determining that the mining activities violated existing mining laws. Current laws allow small-scale mining only inside areas declared as Minahang Bayan by government regulators.
In a statement released through the municipal Public Information Unit headed by Reden De Villa, the local government said mining regulation and enforcement fall under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau and PMRB. Municipal authorities said permit issuance and closure orders are not solely under local government control.
De Villa said the municipal government issued the statement following the closure order implemented by the PMRB against unauthorized mining operations in the town. He said the statement aimed to clarify that mining enforcement and permitting are primarily handled by national regulatory agencies.
“Nililinaw lamang ng lokal na pamahalaan na may proseso at batas na sinusunod pagdating sa pagmimina,” De Villa said. “Patuloy ang pakikipag-ugnayan ng bayan sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno para matiyak na legal at maayos ang anumang pagmimina sa Tagkawayan.”
Efforts to secure a Minahang Bayan declaration have been underway in Tagkawayan since last year. The municipal government said the initiative seeks to place small-scale mining activities under a legal framework established by Republic Act No. 7076 or the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991.
As part of the process, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region IV-A conducted an Information and Education Activity on June 3 in coordination with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office. The activity was requested by the municipal government led by Mayor Carlo T. Eleazar to orient local officials, barangay representatives and residents on laws and regulations governing Minahang Bayan declarations.
Engr. Jose Mari M. Bungalan, Engineer III, and Engr. Rea Mae L. De Austria, Science Research Specialist II, served as resource speakers during the activity. They discussed the provisions of Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and Republic Act No. 7076, including requirements for environmental protection, mine safety and small-scale mining operations.
The discussion also covered the process for declaring a Minahang Bayan, the role of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board and the permits required before mining activities can proceed. Responsibilities of miners and local government units in ensuring compliance with mining and environmental laws were also discussed.
During separate meetings held before the information activity, representatives of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Calauag and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau discussed documentary and technical requirements for the proposed declaration. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau also expressed its readiness to assist the municipality in processing the application.
De Villa said the municipality continues to coordinate with national agencies as it pursues the proposed declaration. He said the local government is working to ensure that any future mining activity operates within the bounds of existing laws and regulations.
“Hindi maaaring basta na lamang payagan ang pagmimina kung walang sapat na permit at pag-apruba mula sa mga kinauukulang ahensya,” he said. “Kailangan munang dumaan sa tamang proseso ang anumang operasyon bago ito payagang magpatuloy.”
Mayor Carlo T. Eleazar thanked the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board for their support and guidance during the process. He said the information activity helped stakeholders better understand the requirements needed to legalize small-scale mining operations under existing laws.
Republic Act No. 7076 requires small-scale mining activities to operate only within government-declared Minahang Bayan areas. Mining activities outside approved zones remain subject to enforcement actions and closure orders by regulatory agencies.
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