The Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) is backing a new partnership framework that encourages cooperation between large-scale mining operators and small-scale miners.

Dubbed as the “Big Brother–Small Brother” initiative, PMDC President and Chief Executive Officer Job Adrian M. Ambrosio explained that it is intended to promote the formalization of small-scale mining, responsible mineral development, improved mine safety, environmental compliance, and inclusive economic growth.

“Responsible mining must create opportunity, not exclusion. By working with the MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) and our mining communities, we can help transform informal mining into a safer, legal, environmentally responsible, and sustainable industry that provides long-term livelihoods for Filipino miners,” Ambrosio said

Under the model, established and technically capable mining operators may assist small-scale miners in transitioning toward legal, properly regulated, and environmentally responsible operations. Assistance may include technical guidance, mine planning, safety systems, environmental management, mineral processing, regulatory compliance, and access to legitimate markets.

The proposal also seeks to demonstrate that responsible mining can create lasting economic opportunities while significantly improving worker safety, environmental stewardship, and community welfare in mining host communities.

The initiative was crafted to address the decades-long problem of the small-scale mining sector operating outside the formal regulatory system, which also exposes workers to hazardous underground conditions where accidents and fatalities remain a serious concern.

The health hazards among small-scale miners are reportedly due to unregulated use of mercury and cyanide that also contributed to the contamination of rivers and waterways, while the absence of proper engineering, mine planning, waste management, and erosion-control measures increases the risks of landslides, pollution, and environmental degradation.

The PMDC also noted that illegal mining operations have likewise been associated with child labor, inadequate social protection, and economic inequities, where a limited number of individuals receive substantial profits while many miners continue to work under dangerous conditions and earn only modest incomes.

Ambrosio said enforcement must be accompanied by practical and viable legal alternatives that encourage small-scale miners to enter the formal economy and become part of a safer, more productive, and properly regulated mining industry.

Ambrosio noted that the partnership approach draws from programs such as the Big Brother–Small Brother initiative implemented by Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI), a subsidiary of Apex Mining Co., Inc., which demonstrates how established mining operators can help small-scale miners improve safety, compliance, environmental management, livelihood generation, and operational sustainability.