Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., has directed several government agencies to begin implementing the controversial Executive Order No. 79.
 
In a statement released Tuesday, Ochoa directed the newly-created Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) and other concerned government agencies to implement the reforms contained in EO 79.
 
“In his Social Contract with the Filipino People, the President pledged to lead a government that would encourage the sustainable use of resources to benefit the present and future generations of Filipinos,” Ochoa said in the statement. 
 
“EO 79 is a policy extension of this commitment, as it lays out directives that will benefit our countrymen in the long-term by putting in place measures that will protect the environment while ensuring that the country gets the maximum economic benefits from mining," he added.
 
Under the EO, no new mining contracts shall be approved until better revenue sharing schemes have been established.  Protected areas shall also be closed to mineral exploration.
 
Under the order, the MICC was likewise created. 
 
In a memorandum to Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Ochoa outlined the actions that specific government agencies need to undertake.  These include the following:
 
- strict enforcement of environmental laws; 
- inventory of social development, management and environment enhancement programs of mining companies; 
- geo-hazard and multi-hazard mapping of areas for mining; 
- determination of the final land use of mining areas once projects are completed; and 
- the non-issuance of new mining applications in Palawan, among others.
 
Ochoa specifically ordered the MICC, which Paje co-chairs with Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, to:
 
- come up with rules and guidelines for the update the mineral commodity profile
- conduct studies and build databases on new markets, products, and available technologies aimed at the development of downstream industries and value-adding activities
- determine legislative measures that will ensure efficient and effective management of the mining sector and strengthen regulatory rules
- study the existing mechanisms for revenue-sharing, among others.
 
On the other hand, human development and poverty reduction Cabinet cluster chair Social Welfare Sec. Dinky Soliman was directed to:
 
- provide alternative livelihood for displaced mining workers; 
- craft mechanisms and guidelines to monitor human and labor rights violations; 
- complete cultural mapping of indigenous people; and 
- ensure proper working and safety conditions within mining areas and nearby communities.
 
Good governance and anti-corruption cluster secretariat head Budget Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad, meanwhile, was asked to determine the specific roles of line agencies involved in mining to address their overlapping tasks and functions.
 
He was also tasked to explore the possibility of tapping third-party international auditors to validate the volume and value of mineral exports from the Philippines.  — ELR, GMA News