LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. and Benguet caretaker congressman Eric Yap assured small-scale miners in the different parts of the province that he will bring the proposed lifting of the temporary suspension on the same with the new environment officials who will be appointed by Presumptive President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. for the resumption of the source of livelihood of the pocket miners.
Yap stated that it is his obligation with the small-scale miners to bring to the concerned environment authorities their long overdue clamor for the proposed lifting of the temporary suspension order that was previously issued that significantly impacted their established sources of livelihood.
He pointed out that the pocket miners are fully aware of their welfare and safety as they had been doing their trade for several decades, thus, the need for them to resume their activities for them to establish their legitimate sources of livelihood.
In September 2018, former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu issued an order that temporarily suspended the conduct of small-scale mining operations in the Cordillera following the tragic landslide incident at Level 070, Ucab, Itogon that caused the untimely demise of more than 100 pocket miners who were trapped in an abandoned bunkhouse at the height of Typhoon Ompong.
Congressman Yap claimed that since the issuance of the stoppage order on pocket mining, numerous illegal small-scale mining activities had existed in the various mining communities which might result in more problems in the future, thus, the need for the environment department to already lift the said order.
According to him, pocket mining has been one of the major sources of livelihood of the people in the mining communities and that they are fully aware on how to undertake the said activity for their welfare and safety that is why he is wondering on the delayed issuance of the order lifting the said temporary suspension order.
Yap appealed to the pocket miners to be patient and understand the delays in the issuance of the order lifting the temporary suspension order because his previous efforts had been overtaken by events, especially with the ongoing transition from the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to the incoming administration of Presumptive President Marcos.
The lawmaker, who was given by the electorate of Benguet a chance to serve as the full pledge District Representative, disclosed that as soon as the new Environment Secretary shall have assumed his office, he will already make the appropriate representation with the said department for the eventual lifting of the temporary suspension order on pocket mining.
He stipulated that there is a need for the pocket miners to recover from the heavy impact that was inflicted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of the ongoing efforts to revive the local economy to bring back the vibrance of the economic activities and sources of livelihood of the people.
