MGB-CAR reports mining contributions to Cordillera de’vt
BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-CAR) reported that the region’s mining industry was able to contribute in spurring economic growth in areas where mining companies are operating.
MGB-CAR regional technical director Engr. Fay W. Apil said that mineral production of the operating mines last year was pegged at P13.5 billion while mining investments region wide was estimated to be over P4.6 billion to date.
She added that mineral local sales amounted to around P12 million based on last year’s data while extraction fees collected by local governments amounted to P4.06 million.
Further, the MGB-CAR official claimed that the mining industry also employed around 7,008 where some 6,397 were males and 611 were females.
For environment protection and enhancement programs, the mining companies utilized more than P4.9 billion last year alone while for social development and management programs of the companies, more than P159.7 million was spent for identified projects last year.
On the other hand, some 2,238 Benguet pine seedlings were planted by the mining companies in more than 25.19 hectares last year for the realization of their respective minahang forest programs.
According to her, more than P1.07 million was spent by the operating mines on their respective community development programs last year.
Apil disclosed that there are more than 18,905 hectares or 1.02 percent of the region’s total land area of 1,829,368 hectares total land area are covered by mining tenements of various mining companies.
At present, the Cordillera has four operating mines, 11 mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs), 3 exploration permits, 2 patented minahang claims, 1 mineral processing permit, 2 industrial sand and gravel permits, 158 local government issued permits, 13 declared Minahang Bayan sites and 2 small-scale mining contracts.
Among the mineral deposits found in the region based on the MGB-Car report include gold, copper, lead, zinc, and silver.
Currently, the operating Minahang Bayan sites are located in Luacan, Itogon, Benguet and Fedilisan, Sagada, Mountain Province while two other similar small-scale mining sites under the said program were recently launched in Calanasan, Apayao to increase the number of Minahang Bayan areas.
Director Apil said that the agency continues to work on existing applications for Minahang Baan in the different parts of the region to facilitate the conduct of the appropriate processes leading to their eventual operations after securing the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) of host communities.
One of the major problems of applicants for Minahang Bayan permits is the issuance of the required FPIC by the indigenous people and indigenous cultural communities hosting their areas of operation through the assistance of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA). By Dexter A. See