NAT’L COALITION OF SMALL-SCALE MINERS URGE CONGRESS TO AMEND PEOPLE’S MINING ACT
Filipino pocket miners contribute 75 percent of PHL gold production
SAN LORENZO RUIZ, Camarines Norte
The National Coalition of Small-Scale Miners in the Philippines is urging Congress to expedite amendments of some provisions of the ‘obsolete’ Republic Act 7076 enacted in 1991 otherwise known as People’s Mining Law. It came during the recent coalition’s 5th National Assembly held here with its theme-‘ Ginto ng Bayan para Sa Bayan: Pagbabagong Batas at Programa Sa Maliitang Pagmimina Isakatuparan,’ with BANToxics served as the Secretariat, and hosted by Camarines Norte’s small-scale miners association(s).
Years, the coalition ,representing more than a hundred small-scale miners association across the country, have passed a number of resolutions appealing members of the House to amendment RA 7076. On top to the proposed Act shall be known as the “People’s Small-Scale Mining Act,’ and creation of mining program and for other purposes.
Also, the coalition re echoed their appeal to President Ferdinand Bongbong. Marcos, Jr. to amend Executive Order
No. 79.
We, member organizations of the National Coalition of Small Scale Miners in the Philippines, Inc., (hereinafter
referred to as the “Coalition”), consisting of 81 small-scale miners’ associations nationwide with around 500,000 men and women mine workers, tunnel owners, and mineral processing operators, and contributing for approximately 70% of the total mining output of the country, appeals to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., for the refinement of regulations, which is Executive Order No. 79, Series of 2012.
For this purpose, governing small scale mining to facilitate ease of compliance, legitimization, and formalization for the benefit of the country in terms of revenues and of the community in terms of decent jobs, compliance with Occupational Health and Safety, and environmental protection. Gil Indino, outgoing president of the coalition,
outlined some of the objectives of the assembly to include– to showcase the good practices of the miner’s associations nationwide, to inform the government of their contributions to environmental protection , the local economy and gold reserve of the country.
And to gather support, particularly from the environment department and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB, to file the proposed amendment of RA as a priority law. Furthermore, to ratify the group 10-year strategic plan.
Meanwhile, a number of small-scale miners’ association across the country, including from Benguet, belonging to the
Benguet Federation of Small Scale Miners (BFSSMI), Sagada ssm a token representative from the city have participated in the three-day assembly.
Primo Agatep/ABN
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