Challenges and Opportunities of Small- Scale Mining in Benguet – Part One

January 21, 2020 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY – The stoppage order against the operations of small-scale mining in the Cordilleras has displaced thousands of pocket miners especially in the four towns of Benguet – Itogon, Mankayan, Tuba and Bakun and also in the city.
To date, the order still in effect. The government order purposely to ensure environmental protection and safety. The [pocket miners] together with their local leaders have been appealing to the national government through the Mines and Geosciences Bureau –Cordillera (MGBCordillera) to grant them temporary mining permit, but to no avail.
Second to agriculture, mining, [small-scale mining] is a major industry in Benguet. It is an important vehicle for employment generation, poverty alleviation and improving living conditions. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through a report MGB-Cordillera, “small-scale mining is proliferating almost in all corners of the six provinces and the City of Baguio.”
Reportedly, Itogon, one of the 13 municipalities of Benguet largely contributes to the province’ copper, gold and silver production. It is believed that gold is also found above the ground.
MGB-Cordillera disclosed that there are about 19,758 pocket miners engaged in this activity as primary or alternative livelihood opportunity with agriculture.
The agency reported that Benguet has 10,000 (conservative estimate); 3,810 in Kalinga; 1,642 in Baguio; 591 in Abra; 321 in Apayao; and 74 in Mt. Province.
There are 12 legal small scale mining associations operating in Benguet the agency reported. Some 3,300 small-scale miners consisting 16 associations are involved in Benguet’s Acupan Contract Mining Project- a partnership mining venture by Benguet Corporation with small-scalemining associations and cooperatives.
Small scale gold mining in the Philippines has been practiced long before the colonization of the country by the Spaniards.
Historical account, gold had been used in trading and the people of Cordillera. Actually, the proliferation of small-scale gold mining/panning activity, which started in the early 80’s, is considered as major contributor to the total gold production of the country.
The mining and trade of gold were among the [crucial] economic activities of the Ibaloy and Kankanaey tribes of Benguet province.
“This activity, however, raises problems, such as encroachment of illegal miners to private lands and existing and subsisting mining claims, environmental degradation and mining operations in protected areas,” MGB-CAR said.
Minahang Bayan (MB) – To harmonize, Minahang Bayan, a government initiative which translates as the “people’s
mine’, designates areas within which small-scale mining operations can take place.
MGB-CAR has reported, seventeen (17) applications for Minahang Bayan out of the fifty nine (59) applications endorsed have undergone review by MGB-Central Office.
To date, only one minahang bayan mining contract in the Cordilleras has been approved by the PMRB of Benguet. Approved was the application of Loacan Itogon Pocket Miners Association (LIPMA).
MB regulates small-scale mining operations – In the last quarter of 2019,the government through DENR expressed willingness to “relax” the process for the application of Minahang Bayan but maintained the need to limit small-scale mining operations within a designated minahang bayan areas as mandated by Executive Order (EO) 79 ad consistent with Republic Act 7076, or the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act.
DENR stressed, issuance of small-scale mining contract is done only after a minahang bayan is declared. Small-scale miners in Benguet and in the city complained that the present process is very tedious.
Some of these requirements include Environmental Compliance Certificate [ECC] and the need to secure the so-called Free,Prior and Informed Consent [FPIC].
Declaration of Minahang Bayan is a must to regulate small-scale mining operations ensure environmental protection also the safety of pocket miners the government emphasized.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN