Gov’t rejects 131 mine applications

The government has rejected at least 131 mining applications since November mainly because of the applicants’ failure to acquire prior consent from communities where the mining operations will be located, according to a ranking mining official.

Among the rejected applications were those for mineral production sharing agreements, exploration permits and financial and technical assistance agreements, according to Wilfredo Moncado, acting chief of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Moncado did not identify the companies whose applications were rejected or the specific areas where they wanted to conduct mining.

He said, however, that the main reason for the applications’ rejection was the failure of the applicants to secure the prior consent of indigenous communities where they planned to conduct mining.

Consent from indigenous communities should come in the form of certifications from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, the government body overseeing concerns of indigenous communities.

The rejected mining applicants also failed to secure proof of consultation with local government units that had jurisdiction over the areas where they wanted to mine, Moncado said.

“Failure on the part of the applicant to comply with any of the requirements shall be ground for the denial of the mining permit based on the order given by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje,” Moncado told reporters here Monday.

Of the 131 mining applicants, Moncado said only 73 filed motions for reconsideration (MR).

“For those who did not file an MR, their applications will automatically be removed from the MGB list,” he said.

As this developed, Moncado said MGB Southern Mindanao has forwarded to the MGB central office some 27 mining applications for approval.

“Most of the 27 applications—involving local mining investors—have practically complied with all the necessary requirements,” he said.

Moncado said the 27 mining applications were for areas in Compostela Valley province.

The provincial government of Compostela Valley last month said it was working with the DENR to relocate families living in danger zones in the gold rush area of Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo town.

Compostela Valley Rep. Maricar Zamora-Apsay said families living in danger zones in the gold rush area are exposed to disasters associated with small-scale mining, like landslides.

DENR agreed to the relocation plan, allotting an initial P100 million to move families away from high-risk areas and other related projects by the Compostela Valley government, Apsay said.

The legislator said relocating families, however, was just a short-term solution to the lack of safe mining practices in Mt. Diwalwal. Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao