Interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) has kickstarted its technical review process by hiring 25 experts that would make up its five teams to do the job as promised, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced Friday.
According to the Inquirer, they will survey, study, and offer recommendations on mining-related methodologies and tested measures that will effectively improve mining operations of the 26 companies banned by ex-Environment Secretary Regina Paz Lopez last year.
The review process also intends to enhance safety and protection, and most importantly, eliminating the damages done by mining firms, which the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) can no longer handle on its own.
“A list of provisions in any laws, rules, and regulations that need to be revised or amended to improve mining operations and ensure the development of a responsible mining sector,” National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Assistant Secretary Mercedita A. Sombilla said during a recent MICC meeting.
“Along with a frame or set of standards and procedures to institutionalize the conduct of review of the remaining operating mines should also be covered by the study,” she added.
The Development Academy of the Philippines will lend its hand to the MICC on the project.
“The MICC will tap the expertise of the Development Academy of the Philippines to implement and manage the fact-finding and science-based review process on the mining operations,” Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin said.
Earlier, he said the five-group review process will be based on the types of minerals and its locations, which are as follow: Team 1 for gold, copper, and nickel mines in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, and Mimaropa Region; Team 2 for iron and nickel mines in Central Luzon; Team 3 for chromite, nickel, and iron mines in Eastern Visayas and Caraga Region; finally, Team 4 and Team 5 will oversee nickel and chromite mines in further Caraga.
However, Sombilla commands the technical review process teams will have to consolidate a finalized report of all the investigated mines instead of submitting individual reports for each.
