The technical personnel of the Mine Safety, Environment, and Social Development Division (MSESDD) of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) organized the Orientation on DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2025-10, re: “Guidelines on the Integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Formulation and Implementation of the Social Development and Management Program (SDMP)” last March 13-14, 2025, at Radisson Blue Hotel in Cebu City.
This aims to increase the awareness level of both the MGB Regional Office (RO) staff and the community relations officers on how to go about the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the general program implementation. Sixteen representatives from MGB ROs Visayas Cluster (VI, VII, and VIII) and twenty-four community relations officers from various companies convened at the said event.
The orientation officially started with the welcome remarks courtesy of the MGB RO No. VII Regional Director, Engr. Armando L. Malicse, while Assistant Secretary for Mining Concerns and concurrent OIC Director of MGB, Engr. Michael V. Cabalda delivered his Inspirational Message. Asec. Cabalda emphasized focusing on the company’s host and neighboring barangays when formulating programs/projects/activities that will contribute to achieving the SDG targets.
During the first session, Mr. Gilbert L. Aquino, Chief of the Social Development Section (SDS) MGB Central Office (CO) presented the “Briefing on UN SDGs for the Mining Industry”. Mr. Aquino made a run-through of all the SDMP-related rules and regulations leading to the present DAO, including the background on DAO from its conceptualization last May 2023 to the eventual approval last February 2025.
Next, For. Glaiza B del Rosario, Senior Science Research Specialist of SDS MGB CO, presented the DAO No. 2025-10. For. Del Rosario further discussed the salient features of said DAO, emphasizing pertinent sections such as the detailed overview of how to integrate the SDGs in the SDMP carefully. Also, she stressed the reporting requirements that the regional and community relations personnel must adhere to as part of the integration.
In the afternoon session, Ms. Julie Anne R. Balanag, Community Affairs Officer III, of SDS MGB CO, presented in detail the suggested reporting templates for both the regional and community relations personnel wherein the integration of the goals is incorporated. The goal of the new reporting requirements is to track the progress of the contributions based on the annual program implementation.
The final session was presented by Mr. Calvin V. Perez, Community Development Officer III, on the additional SDG inputs to conduct a Social Impact Assessment (SIA). In consonance with Section 7 of the DAO, a reworked Matrices of the 5-year and annual SDMP Programs/Projects/Activities was presented.
During the workshop proper, Mr. Aquino presented the workshop objectives and mechanics, wherein this activity shall help hasten the participants' learning curve and initially assess their absorption level.
Pre-selected company participants shall fill out an annual accomplishment report with their identified SDG contributions, and a yearly consolidated accomplishment report with the same integrated SDG contributions for the regional office personnel. The output was presented on the following day of the program of activities.
The Closing Remarks was delivered by Engr. Edgar C. Lagarnia, MSESDD Chief of MGB RO No. VII on behalf of Engr. Marcial H. Mateo, MSESDD Chief of MGB CO, who also gave his message earlier.
This was the first of three rollout activities to be undertaken by MGB, in partnership with the National Unified Information, Education, and Communication Plan (NUIECP) Steering Committee and the host region, MGB RO No. VII. The next two roll-outs of activities are for the Luzon and Mindanao clusters.
Left Photo: Asec. Michael V. Cabalda delivered his Inspirational Message.
Right Photo: Mr. Gilbert L. Aquino, presented a briefer on the various SDMP-related DAOs and UN-SDGs.
Left Photo: Pre-selected participants from the company presented their output on the second day of activities.
Right Photo: Technical personnel from the MGB RO presented its output on the second day of activities.
Left Photo: Engr. Marcial H. Mateo, MSESDD Chief, with his message.
Right Photo: Engr. Ed Lagarnia, MSESDD Chief of MRG RO, with his Closing Remarks.
Guests and Participants for DAO 2025-10 Orientation.
By: Mine Safety, Environment, and Social Development Division