DENR rolls out mobile one-stop shop for small-scale miners

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched a mobile one-stop shop program aimed at helping small-scale miners legalize and regulate their operations.

At the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, DENR Acting Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the initiative was first piloted in T'boli, South Cotabato, and later expanded to other mining communities.

“Nakita po namin na very receptive yung mga small-scale miners, small-scale mining associations na ngayon magiging legal po sila,” Cuna said.

(We have seen that small-scale miners and mining associations are very receptive to having a legal status.)

Cuna said many small-scale miners remain unregulated due to the complex permit requirements and paperwork involved.

He said the government wants small-scale miners to operate legally so they can sell gold at fair market prices through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Legal operations would also allow miners to avoid evading authorities and enable local governments to properly collect taxes from mining activities, he added.

The program involves several agencies, including the Department of Health, the BSP, and the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), to provide technical assistance and promote safer and more environmentally responsible mining practices.

Cuna said there are around 100,000 small-scale mining operators nationwide, many of whom remain unregulated.

Most small-scale mining activities involve gold extraction, particularly in areas such as the Cordillera Administrative Region, Davao Region, Bicol, Caraga, and Soccsksargen, he added.—MCG, GMA News