Only three Minahang Bayan applications are likely to receive approval from the government this year out of 141 pending applications, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
“Even if we want to declare and formalize more Minahang Bayan, the fact is there are a lot of hurdles. Sometimes, the small-scale miners are the ones that are not organized which take the whole process longer,” DENR Undersecretary for mining Analiza Teh said in a PhilStar.com report.
Teh added that despite many issues needing resolutions and the tough assessment process, the DENR still has to approve applications to help prevent illegal small-scale mining activities multiplying uncontrollably.
The overlapping of areas with the large-scale mining sites is among the issues that need to be resolved according to the agency.
Unregulated small-scale mining operations accounts for around 60 percent of the Philippines gold mine production. The Philippines’ government, however, does not benefit in terms of taxation from small-scale miners’ gold production.
A six-year roadmap for the small-scale mining industry to improve mechanisms, allow them to be viable, improve the system and enhance the existing guidelines is already being crafted by the DENR.
Additionally, through centralized mineral processing possible in a Minahang Bayan, the government will be able to monitor gold production of small-scale miners much better.
It also helps the government to curb illegal mining and lessen the hostile environmental impact of indiscriminate mining operations in the country.
At present, about 26 nationally and locally declared Minahang Bayan – mostly located in Cordillera, Bicol, Compostela Valley, and Zamboanga – are existing in the country despite more than 100 pending applications with the DENR and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
