Benguet pocket miners urge PMRB to lift stoppage order

March 27, 2021 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY – The Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners (BFSSM), the largest association of pocket miners in Benguet, recently passed a board resolution strongly urging the Benguet Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) to lift its stoppage order against small-scale mining operations in the province.
Its been two years now since the Benguet provincial mining regulatory board issued the stoppage order against all operations of small-scale mining after the onslaught of typhoon Ompong (September 15,2018).
Based on BFSSM Resolution 2021-03 passed on March 20,2021 it states: “In view of the long period of inactivity by the small-scale miners, their mode of living has been greatly affected and they
were almost reduced in destitute waiting for dole outs from the government and private sectors while their children suffered from the effects of this stoppage order.”
“Such stoppage order has long served its purpose considering that the small-scale miners religiously complied with the directive and obviously their respective audits and working places has rehabilitated by itself.”
The federation board resolution stressed :”It is now an opportune time to lift the stoppage order and since it is the PMRB which issued the order it is incumbent upon this Board (PMRB) to issue its lifting for the interest of fairness and social justice.”
Engineer Lomino Kaniteng, president of BFSSM and an active member of the Benguet provincial mining regulatory board, echoed the sentiments of thousand members and officials from different associations which are under their federation– “without clearance, operations of small-scale mining through the government initiated program—Minahang Bayan (MB), will not be legalized.
To date,only two minahang bayan have been approved , located in Bakun and Itogon, all in Benguet.
In a related development, in recent months, Benguet governor Melchor Diclas, likewise appealed to the PMRB, headed by its chairman Fay Apil, also the regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) one of the offices under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to lifts its stoppage order. Governor Diclas is also seating member of PMRB.
In 2020, Apil expressed optimism that more Small-Scale Mining Contracts (SMMC) will be approved in areas declared as Minahang Bayan (MB) in Benguet. She hinted that at least eight small-scale mining contracts will be approved pending completion of the necessary requirements.
Based on MGB records, there are 12 pending minahang bayan applications spread in the municipalities of Bakun, Tuba and Itogon. A number of the applicants belong to BFSSM.
Primo Agatep/ABN