BENGUET POCKET MINERS FELT ‘BETRAYED’ NOT PART IN 2024 ADIVAY CALENDER OF ACTIVITIES

November 9, 2024 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

Thousands of local pocket miners, representing more than 50 small scale mining (ssm)associations across the province felt ‘betrayed’ after its annual mining summit was scrapped in this year’s Adivay Festival. In a random telephone interviews, pocket miners from Mankayan, Tuba and Itogon expressed they were betrayed after it was repeatedly promised to them (ssm) that such mining summit has to be sustained. ‘Adivay is coming together isn’t … for not including us this year, parang na itsupera kami,’ said a disheartened lady pocket miner, who requested not to be identified.

‘I remember the good old days in 2005, when Adivay was first held… I joined the parade of miners, everybody were
delighted… Adivay bonded us stronger,’ said a pocket miner, turned operator. Others noted previous provincial officials recognized the contributions of ssm in the community— civic, medical as well as in the economy. In Oct. 28 Kapihan sa Benguet , Governor Melchor Diclas , Vice Governor Ericson ‘Tagel’ Felipe, and some members of Provincial Boad together with heads of various departments , presented this year’s Adivay calendar of activities.

This writer who asked about the non-inclusion of a mining summit especially for pocket miners this year, it took less than minute, until Provincial Adminitistrator Brian Camhit came for the rescue. Camhit said a mining summit will be held sepearately and set to a later date, but he did not specify if it still falls under the festival’s calendar. He further said, organizers of Adivay (2024) received a report that they (referring to ssm) have decided to hold a separate activity a so-called mining summit on December. The provincial government through Camhit noted for years the countless activities and initiatives of local small scale mining associations and pocket miners such protection of the environment, social and medical services in their respective communities.

Camhit stressed ssm are almost doing it in a weekly basis. For decades, the mining summit aimed at addressing the
concerns of the informal sector’s livelihood and also a way for the provincial government -in both the sangguniang panlalawigan (SP) governor’s office down to concern departments to present and discuss pertinent laws such environmental laws, efforts, policies,advocies among others. Like last year’s summit, the SP’s environmental committee, took the opportunity to distribute the approved provincial environmental code and discuss it. The summit also gives the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) th e chance to explain national government policies on mining and also update ssm groups on Minahang Bayan (MB), among others.

Primo Agatep/ABN