Ranking solon asks DENR to look into 'current mining technologies' for small-scale miners

A House leader has asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to look into "current mining technologies" that miners could use to avoid compromising the environment as well as the populace amid their activities.

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte made this suggestion to DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga during a recent meeting of the Commission on Appointments (CA), where the solons sits as majority floor leader.

In the meeting, Yulo-Loyzaga bared plans to work with local government units (LGUs), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other concerned agencies on the full implementation of the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act to better regulate mining and flush out illegal miners.

Queried by Villafuerte, Yulo-Loyzaga said she supports small-scale mining as a means to lift certain populations out of their socioeconomic conditions, “(but) we do feel at least at the DENR at the moment, that we need to strengthen our capacity to observe, to monitor, to evaluate the environmental impacts of these activities at the local level".

Villafuerte then told the DENR secretary to look into current mining technologies that already allow miners to process gold without using mercury, a pollutant that adversely affects humans and ecosystems.

“There are already so many technologies, mercury-free processing of gold. So, I suggest that the department can research on this and be updated, because every day there are new technologies and processes that are being implemented,” he said.

“As you mentioned, (the use of mercury) is really dangerous," added Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP).

Villafuerte, a former Camarines Sur governor, noted that although the small-scale mining law was enacted way back in 1991, not a lot of such activities have been legalized thus far, hence the proliferation of illegal small-scale miners.

When Yulo-Loyzaga revealed that the DENR has recognized 50 Minahang Bayan projects since the law took effect in 1991, Villafuerte said: “That's what we want to know, because 31 years since the law was enacted, it's very sad to hear that there are actually only 50 (Minahang Bayan projects)."

"And I'm sure you know that there are probably hundreds of illegal small-scale mining waiting to be accredited. And as secretary, it's a law and, as you mentioned, you support it as long as it's within the mandate of the law," he said.

The former asked Yulo-Loyzaga how she intends to implement this law (Republic Act or RA 7076), given that “there has been a proliferation of illegal small-scale miners” because previous administrations had failed to promote legitimate small-scale mining.

He said another thing that the DENR could look into is to streamline the process of business registration under the law in order to encourage small-scale miners to legitimize themselves instead of remaining illegal.

To create more jobs and ensure a more equitable sharing of natural resources, RA 7076 was signed into law to develop, protect and rationalize viable small-scale mining in mineralized areas, or those with naturally occurring mineral deposits of gold, silver, chromite, kaolin silica, marble, gravel and clay.

RA 7076 lets the government forge joint venture or mineral production sharing agreements with small-scale miners for mining small plots or mineral lands, mainly relying on manual labor and using simple tools and methods in lieu of explosives or heavy equipment.

To be able to secure mining contracts, these small-scale miners have to first voluntarily form cooperatives duly licensed by the DENR, and their cooperatives must then be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Yulo-Loyzaga told Villafuerte she had “initial conversations already on how we might be able to coordinate more closely with the DILG, in particular, in order for us to be able to maintain some integrity in the ecosystems despite the necessity of this activity being made available to communities who actually need the incomes at the barangay and at the community level".

Moreover, she said the DENR would like to work closely with LGUs and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in addressing Gender and Development (GAD) issues related to small-scale mining as there are women who work in the mines.

The DENR would similarly like to address the issue of child labor as there are also children working in mine sites, she said.