Gov. Diclas urges Benguet pocket miners to unite
ITOGON, Benguet – Governor Melchor Diclas rallied local pocket miners to unite to address the issues affecting the small-scale mining industry in the province even as he vowed that his administration will sustain its support.
Gov Diclas on Friday (June 3) inducted the officers of the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc. (BFSSMI), the mother organization of local small-scale miners in the province, held at Itogon Training Center (ITC) in Bua, Itogon.
Diclas urged the federation to invite other associations to join the federation for a so-called “one group” of small-scale miners in the province, leading to its representative in the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PBRB).
“There must be unity…and care among pocket miners,” Diclas said in the vernacular, by doing so, small-miner is well represented, especially in the PMRB.
The governor vowed to sustain his administration’s support to local pocket miners even as he revealed that he wrote former Secretary Roy Cimatu (DENR) to lift the stoppage order (smallscale mining operations), and also Benguet PMRB as a collegial body.
At present, unfortunately, despite said numerous letter requests from the governor’s office and provincial mining regulatory board, as a collegial body, no favorable response(s) from the environment department, regarding the lifting of the stoppage order.
Norberto Cobaldez, the new president of BFSSMI, said that topping the issues to be resolved are: lifting the stoppage order on small-scale mining, application, and processing of Minahang Bayan (MB), and processing of small-scale mining contracts (SSMCs).
And the protection of the environment towards responsible mining is also the challenge that their federation has to address.
Earlier, Cobaldez called on local pocket miners to unite…Marami tayong problema that we need to solve one-by-one.”
“Our number one problem is the stoppage order (small scale mining operations),” said Cobaldez, a retired public servant (DOST-CAR).
“Ma lift kuman ti stoppage order tapnu maituloy dagiti activities ti (minero) tapnu adda pag-biagan dagitI small-scale miners tayo,” Cobaldez stressed.
BFSSM new set of officers: Norberto Cobaldes (president); Alfred Bugnosen (executive vice president); Ermundo Milo (vice president- District 1); Eric Aquintey (vice president District 2); Leoncio Naoy (secretary-general); Angelita Sugalan (treasurer); Desiree Luis (auditor); Ricardo Liwayan ( business manager); and Milo Lopes (press relation officer).
Moreover, BFSSMI Board of Trustees: Norberto Cobaldez; Leoncio Na-oy; Ricardo Liwayan; Ermundo Milo; Angelita Sugalan; Desiree Luis; Gina Abanga; Lopes Milo; Eric Aquintey; David Tomilas; Warlito Jacinto; Cesar Carbonel; Pablo Tudiong; Alfredo Pacyado; and Alfred Bugnosen.
Primo Agatep/ABN
