All mining contractors are now mandated to comply with the disclosure requirements of the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI).

DENR Secretary Gina Lopez signed the Administrative Order no. 2017-07 requiring all mining contractors to take part in PH-EITI in accordance with the requirements set by Philippines Multi-stakeholders Group.

According to the Order, if the mining contractor fails to comply with the disclosure requirements of the PH-EITI, their Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)s will be suspended and they will not be issued Ore Transport Permits and Mineral Export Permits.

The certificates and permits will remain cancelled until the mining companies are able to comply with the PH-EITI requirements.

The Mines and Geoscience Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau are also directed to disclose all information requested by the PH-EITI in a timely manner.

Administrative Order 2017-07 was signed on March 10, 2017 and shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

According to the PH-EITI website, the EITI is an “international multi-stakeholder group that sets international standards for transparency in extractive industry payments and receipts, where companies are required to publish what they pay to governments and governments are required to publish what they receive from companies.”

The PH-EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group (PHEITI MSG) “is a group that provides a platform for business and civil society stakeholders to engage government in the implementation of EITI in the Philippines.”

By: Mineral Economics, Information and Publications Division