Members of the technical staff of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Region 7 (MGB-7) attended the 2016 National MSESDD Forum held at the Bayview Park Hotel Manila last March 14-18, 2016.

The Forum, which served as venue for discussions and resolutions on various matters pertaining to mine safety and health, mine environmental management, mine rehabilitation and social development, was attended by a total of seventy-four (74) MSESDD Division and Section Chiefs from all MGB Regional Offices and the MGB Central Office.

At the outset, the MGB Central Office MSESDD Division and Section Chiefs presented the numerous issues and concerns earlier gathered from the different Regional Offices. In the ensuing days, the forum participants were divided into four (4) clusters representing the following, namely: Mine Safety and Health Section (MSHS), Mine Environmental Management Section (MEMS), Social Development Section (SDS) and MSESD Division. The clusters separately discussed and deliberated on their respective issues and concerns, identified those that clearly have legal anchors or sensible enough to be agreeable within the clusters, and trimmed these down for presentation and clarification to MGB Director Leo L. Jasareno.

During the plenary, MSESDD Chief Rodulfo L. Velasco, Jr., MGB-CAR SDS Chief Amy N. Ramos, MGB-6 MEMS Chief Johnny R. Matias and MGB-7 MSHS Chief Edgar c. Lagarnia presented their respective cluster outputs and proposed resolutions to Director Jasareno. The issues that were brought up were either immediately decided upon, or classified as clarificatory or amendatory, which would be acted upon accordingly through a Memorandum Circular or Administrative Order. MGB-7 was also tasked to make a technical study on the safeness and economic benefits on the prevalent use of LPG in the mining industry.

Director Jasareno announced that the MGB Central Office was recently accorded an ISO 9001:2008 Certification for Quality Management, and enjoined the Regional Offices to follow suit. He also reminded that the MESDD personnel are the sentinels, not just of the mining industry, but of the people, and should not lose their legal sense in the exercise of their functions. He further encouraged the formation of a National Association of MSESDD.

Finally, Director Jasareno pronounced that the National MSESDD Forum shall now be a regular annual affair. The next Forum will be held in March 2017 and will be hosted by MGB-RO I, and thereafter in RO II (2018), RO III (2019) and so on.