The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the United Nations Environment Programme and Industrial Development Organization (UNEP and UNIDO) held the National Launch of the Government Environment Facility GOLD Child Project: Contribution Toward the Elimination of Mercury in Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (SSM) Sector: From Miners to Refiners on April 11, 2019 in Quezon City.

The launch was attended by representatives from local government units having jurisdiction of target pilot areas. Also present were representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Customs, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The Project is a two-country (Philippines and Mongolia) initiative designed to address the issues on the use of mercury in the SSM sector. It adopts the supply chain approach to provide a lasting and sustainable solution to wean small-scale miners from mercury use and develop the sector.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) was identified as the Philippine Government’s national executing partner in the collaborative efforts to attain the following Project’s general objectives: 1) formalization of the SSM Sector; 2) open access to finance and markets; 3) transfer of technology; and 4) knowledge management.

An earlier Regional Launch was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on April 8, 2019 where the Philippine government was represented by MGB.

Source: Mining Technology Division

Participants from the Local and National Government, SSM Sector, UNEP, UNIDO and Artisinal Gold Council during the event.