Benguet Mining Board seeks DENR approval of TSSMP guidelines

April 7, 2019 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) of this province has approved a resolution asking Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu to expedite the approval of the guidelines adopted by the Board in the processing and awarding of Temporary Smal l- Scale Mining Permit (TSSMP) within Benguet Province.
On Thursday, April 4, PMRB held a meeting at the Benguet Provincial Capitol presided by Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Cordillera OIC regional director and regulatory board chair person Faye Apil.
Apil reported that that her office has not received any communication whether Secretary Cimatu has acted on the TSSMP guidelines crafted by the said board.
On the same day, the PMRB wrote a letter to Secretary Cimatu through Mines and Geosciences (MGB) head Wilfredo Moncano requesting the Secretary’s action on the Board Resolution No. 002, Series 2019 or guidelines in the processing and awarding of Temporary Small-Scale Mining Permit (TSSMP) within Benguet Province.
As this developed, a number of pocket miners who are members of the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners (BFSSM), Inc., and who witnessed the recent PMRB meeting, also appealed to DENR Secretary to act on the resolution of the Board.
“Up to now wala pang reply about our concern, kaya gumawa kami (PRMB) ng letter, kung anu na ang action ni Secretary para alam naman ng mga minero kung wala silang hinihintay at para alam din namin kung pwede or hindi pwede,” Apil said.
“Mid–February, the guidelines were forwarded to the DENR Secretary through the MGB central office, because it’s the MGB that will process first before it will be endorsed to the Secretary,” Apil added.
“The PMRB crafted the guidelines so that even they mine, there are rules to be followed so that it’s not detrimental to the environment, and also for their safety and the people where the mining will be conducted,” Apil said.
To date, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Benguet reported that there are six out 21 initial TSSMP applicants that have been validated.
Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc. (BFSSM) president and PMRB member Lomino Kaniteng pushed for the approval of the six validated TSSMP applicants.
Kaniteng said the non-action of DENR on the Board resolution should be deemed approved, adding that the allowed grace period had already lapsed.
Kaniteng’s motion for the approval, supported by lawyer Edward Aratas, who is also a member of the Board, was blocked by Apil.
Apil insisted that they shall have to wait for the approval of the DENR Secretary on the said TSSMP guidelines.
When the TSSMP is approved, small-scale miners can operate for a period of six months while waiting for their applications of Minahang Bayan (MB) to be approved.
For the record, the PMRB Resolution No. 002, Series 2019 endorsed by the Municipal Government of Itogon was adopted in January 25, 2019.
“The Board received petitions by various small-scale miners (Itogon) for the lifting of the Stoppage Order against them in order for them to have a source of livelihood and survive.
Small-scale mining has been a livelihood of majority of the people of Benguet Province since time immemorial and has been stopped September 2018, thereby depriving these small-scale miners of their basic source of livelihood,” the resolution states.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN