The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR–MGB) formally turned over the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the abandoned Zambales Base Metals Inc. mine in Barangay Upper Baluno, Zamboanga City, during a ceremony on October 22, 2025. This marked the start of efforts to rehabilitate one of the country’s legacy mine sites.
The turnover activity, organized by MGB Region IX, forms part of the Mine Rehabilitation Program that addresses environmental and safety concerns in abandoned and inactive mining areas across the country. The EMP outlines the actions needed to mitigate hazards and promote sustainable land use in the former mining area.
Forester Teodorico Marquez Jr. of the MGB Central Office’s Mine Safety, Environment, and Social Development Division explained that the initiative focuses on addressing the impacts of so-called “legacy mines,” or abandoned sites that existed before the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
“The government now shoulders the responsibility of managing and rehabilitating these abandoned sites,” Marquez said. “Through this environmental management plan, we can assess the condition of the mine, mitigate hazards, and explore ways the area can still be used sustainably.”
Marquez said the plan emphasizes a whole-of-government approach, ensuring participation from the Zamboanga City LGU to make rehabilitation practical and community-centered. “We want the LGU to be part of this, to be protected from the environmental and safety impacts. The plan provides all the activities needed, with an estimated cost of about PHP 100 million to rehabilitate the site,” he added.
While no budget has been allocated yet, the MGB is coordinating with the Department of Budget and Management and exploring resource recovery from residual minerals to finance the project. “The challenge is where to get the budget,” Marquez admitted, “but if the site is still viable, rehabilitation can benefit both the environment and the local economy.”
MGB Region IX Officer-in-Charge Engr. Romualdo Aguilos, speaking on behalf of OIC Assistant Director Teodorico Sandoval, said the EMP was developed through a science-based and structured process involving semi-detailed risk assessments, mine-structure evaluations, and reconnaissance surveys.
Representatives from Permata Resources Inc., the study contractor, presented the EMP’s key findings and recommended mitigation measures during the program, which also featured an open forum among MGB officials and local government representatives.
Barangay Baluno officials expressed full support for the rehabilitation initiative, saying they hope it will not only address existing hazards but also deliver long-term benefits once the area is restored and repurposed.
MGB Region IX officials closed the ceremony by renewing their call for unity and collaboration in advancing environmental rehabilitation and strengthening resilience among mining-affected communities in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
How can collaboration between national agencies and local governments ensure lasting environmental rehabilitation of abandoned mine sites in the Philippines?
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Photo Credit: Region 9 MGB Website
