GOLD MILLING. Operating without permit, a small-scale miner runs
an old-fashioned ball mill to extract gold in an upland village in
Nueva Vizcaya. A Nueva Vizcaya State University report declared that
indiscriminate use of mercury by illegal miners has contaminated the
river networks in mining villages.
Vizcaya officials unite against illegal mining
The rising casualties in the illegal small-scale mining operations in the province has prompted provincial officials to cross party lines in an attempt to stamp out the practice.
Nueva Vizcaya provincial board member Patricio Dumlao Jr. criticized the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the environment department and local officials in mineral-rich municipalities where there are rampant illegal small-scale mining for their
failure to curb what he described as destructive mining ventures. “If local officials in those areas are not illegal miners themselves or if they are not in cahoots with the operators, then it would be easy for them to hunt and stop all mining operations in their respective jurisdictions.
Administrative charges can be filed against these officials for dereliction
of duty,” warned Dumlao.
Nueva Vizcaya Vice Governor Jose Gambito Jr., who used to chair the provincial small-scale mining board, confirmed that no permits were issued to small-scale miners
who operate in a mining area already under Financial Technical Assistance
Agreement (FTAA).
Gambito was referring to the Dinkidi Hill area in the upland town of Kasibu where OceanaGold Philippines Inc. was granted the rights by the national government to operate the Didipio gold-copper project under an FTAA.
The MGB says FTAA may be entered into between a contractor and the national government for the large-scale exploration, development and utilization of gold, copper, nickel, chromite, lead, zinc. The approval of applications is subject to qualifications and requirements set by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and
other existing mineral policies of the Philippines.
Dumlao expressed fears that undocumented small-scale mining operations in the province may not only endanger the miners but also the entire community where they operate unregulated. “Because they don’t have permits to operate, they are illegal and there are no records for the government to monitor their activities while technically evading tax obligations. How can we entice foreign investments
into the country if we can not protect legal mining projects that pay substantial
tax revenues to the government?” Dumlao asked.
Dumlao who hails from Nueva Vizcaya’s north district said using toxic mercury in extracting gold endangers not only the lives of people living in the area but the natural ecology as well. He also mentioned the indiscriminate use of dynamite in mine tunnel excavation as extremely fatal to the miners based on reported blasting related deaths recently.
During the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting, Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Luisa Lloren Curesma ordered the local authorities to stop all illegal mining anywhere in the province.
“These must be stopped. We can’t just sit here waiting for another death or tragedy to happen. Besides most of these people are not Novo Vizcayanos and yet they exploit and ruin our natural resources,” said Cuaresma who now heads the provincial smallscale mining regulatory board.
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Nueva Vizcaya provincial board member Patricio Dumlao Jr. criticized the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the environment department and local officials in mineral-rich municipalities where there are rampant illegal small-scale mining for their
failure to curb what he described as destructive mining ventures. “If local officials in those areas are not illegal miners themselves or if they are not in cahoots with the operators, then it would be easy for them to hunt and stop all mining operations in their respective jurisdictions.
Administrative charges can be filed against these officials for dereliction
of duty,” warned Dumlao.
Nueva Vizcaya Vice Governor Jose Gambito Jr., who used to chair the provincial small-scale mining board, confirmed that no permits were issued to small-scale miners
who operate in a mining area already under Financial Technical Assistance
Agreement (FTAA).
Gambito was referring to the Dinkidi Hill area in the upland town of Kasibu where OceanaGold Philippines Inc. was granted the rights by the national government to operate the Didipio gold-copper project under an FTAA.
The MGB says FTAA may be entered into between a contractor and the national government for the large-scale exploration, development and utilization of gold, copper, nickel, chromite, lead, zinc. The approval of applications is subject to qualifications and requirements set by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and
other existing mineral policies of the Philippines.
Dumlao expressed fears that undocumented small-scale mining operations in the province may not only endanger the miners but also the entire community where they operate unregulated. “Because they don’t have permits to operate, they are illegal and there are no records for the government to monitor their activities while technically evading tax obligations. How can we entice foreign investments
into the country if we can not protect legal mining projects that pay substantial
tax revenues to the government?” Dumlao asked.
Dumlao who hails from Nueva Vizcaya’s north district said using toxic mercury in extracting gold endangers not only the lives of people living in the area but the natural ecology as well. He also mentioned the indiscriminate use of dynamite in mine tunnel excavation as extremely fatal to the miners based on reported blasting related deaths recently.
During the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting, Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Luisa Lloren Curesma ordered the local authorities to stop all illegal mining anywhere in the province.
“These must be stopped. We can’t just sit here waiting for another death or tragedy to happen. Besides most of these people are not Novo Vizcayanos and yet they exploit and ruin our natural resources,” said Cuaresma who now heads the provincial smallscale mining regulatory board.
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