Published
By Madelaine B. Miraflor
While Malacañang seems
to be buying its time to decide on the appeal of mining firms recommended for
closure and suspension, it proceeded to give the go signal for this year’s
Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award (PMIEA).
A statement showed on
Wednesday that 22 mining companies all over the Philippines have qualified for
PMIEA this year for their efforts to achieve environmentally and socially
responsible surface mining and mineral processing operations.
Philippine Mine Safety
and Environment Association (PMSEA) President Louie Sarmiento said the PMIEA
Selection Committee (SC) already came up with a set of names, including
large-scale mining firms, that have qualified to win this year’s PMIEA.
According to him, the
SC, together with the PMIEA Secretariat headed by the Mines and Geosciences
Bureau (MGB), have already concluded the field validation on the
accomplishments of PMIEA nominees a few weeks ago and have subsequently
shortlisted them.
“For this year, out of
the 32 mining firms who submitted their entries, there are 22 who qualified, as
compared to last year when there was only 24 who submitted their entries and
only 20 who was validated and qualified,” Sarmiento said.
Some of the nominees
are Filminera Resources Corporation, SR Metals, Inc., Taganito HPAL Nickel
Corp., Philippine Gold Processing and Refining Corp., Cagdianao Mining Corp.,
Carmen Copper Corp., OceanaGold Philippines, Inc., Rio Tuba Nickel Mining
Corp., Coral Bay Nickel Corp., Eagle Cement Corp., Holcim Mining and Development
Corp., Apo Land and Quarry Operation, Holcim Mining and Development
Corp.-Davao, Agata Mining Ventures, Inc., Mindanao Mineral Processing and
Refining Corp., Northern Cement Corp., among others.
Sarmiento said the list
of winners for this year’s PMIEA has already been endorsed to President Rodrigo
Duterte.
It was last September
when the PMIEA SC conducted its first meeting to deliberate the initial ratings
of the mining companies nominated by the different MGB Regional Offices under
the four categories: Surface Mining Operation, Quarry Operation, Mineral
Exploration and Mineral Processing. Then in October, the final field validation
took place.
The PMIEA was
established under Executive Order No. 399 on February 03, 1997 in compliance
with the policy that mineral exploration activities and mining operations shall
not only be pro-environment but also pro-people.
Corollary to this, the
Mining Forest Program, established by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 22, Series of 1989 through the
National Executive Committee, will also select the Best Mining Forest based on
the set criteria and rating system.
Winners of the Safest
Mines Awards and Best Mines Personalities will likewise be awarded during the
event.
PMIEA will be part of
the 64th Annual National Mine Safety and Safety Conference (ANMSEC), which will
be hosted by PMSEA — the country’s forerunner in the promotion of
occupational safety and health, sound environmental management and social
responsibility in the minerals industry.
To be held on November
21 to 24 in Baguio, ANMSEC will be attended by both DENR officials and industry
delegates.
“The 64th annual
national mine safety and environment conference again brings together advocates
of responsible mining within and outside the mining communities where we
operate. This includes not only the mining companies but also our
regulators, suppliers, academe services contractors and local government units
and communities,” Sarmiento said.
The theme for this year’s
ANMSEC is “Responsible Mining… In the Hearts and Minds of Filipinos.”
The culminating
activity in the celebration of ANMSEC is the Testimonial Dinner and Annual
Awards Night.
At least 27 more mining
companies are still hoping to get a decision from the government about the
appeals they have made to counter the suspension and closure orders imposed to
them by former Environment Chief Regina Paz Lopez at the start of the year.
This, after listed
mining company Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. became the first fortunate
mining firm to get a resolution from Malacañang on its appeal about the
suspension order it received from the DENR in February.
To be exact, Lopez
would have wanted to shutdown and suspend a total of 28 mining operations in
the country, 13 of which filed a motion for reconsideration with the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) while 15 miners made an appeal to
the Office of the President (OP).
And although some of
these mining firms remained operational despite the orders, some actually
voluntarily stopped their operations.
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