BAGUIO CITY– The Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners (BFSSM) on Thursday expressed support to the position of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), urging the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to ease the requirements in the application for “Minahang Bayan” (MB).
“Our association welcomes the position of the MGB-CAR, it will greatly facilitate the processing of MB by our members,” BFSSM president Lomino Kaniteng told Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Kaniteng, likewise urged NCIP and Environment Management Bureau (EMB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to come up with guidelines on the processing of MB.
He said his group intends to write the Cordillera Regional Development Council to request the MGB and NCIP to seat down together and thresh out matters that will fast track the processing of MB.
He said they are willing to discuss with the said agencies to address the matter.
Fay Apil, MGB-CAR regional director, earlier told PNA that she was hopeful that the meeting would be arranged soon in the light of the MB application of Sitio Bagtangan , Batanes and Goldstar in Barangay Gambang in Bakun, which was given a clearance by the DENR central office.
The clearance was issued after determination of its viability and qualification to be declared a Minahang Bayan.
The permit, however, requires that the Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) must be obtained under the rules.
Apil said that 64 MB applications are still pending for “final clearance” at the DENR central office.
Record from the Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office (Penro) Benguet show that there are 8,000 Small-Scale Mining (SSM) operations in Benguet involving close to 30,000 miners. Most of the small scale mines are in Itogon town. (Primo Agatep/PNA)
