The Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) recently transferred to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) the task of validating applications for area expansion, a role which was given to the MICC through its Technical Working Group on Environmental Protection and Legislation (TWG-EPL) pursuant to Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2014-06 dated July 21, 2014.

Said DAO was issued in consideration of the need to alleviate the plight of existing operating mines that require the expansion of their existing contract areas to sustain their operations, on the condition that the mines concerned are operating and have the available mineral resources/reserves.  They should also be subject to validation by the MICC through its TWG-EPL.

Recognizing the limitations of the MICC TWG-EPL due to lack of technical capability among others, the Department of Finance, represented by Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, and the DENR, through Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, signed Resolution No. 5, which resolved to transfer said function to the MGB Regional Office (RO) concerned.   The MGB RO will conduct field verification while the MGB Central Office will approve the application, if warranted.

With the said transfer, the validation process of the applications for expansion is expected to be expedited.

By:  Legal Staff