Pursuant to the pronouncement for a comprehensive review of the mining operations, 16 audit teams were created to review the compliance of the country’s metallic mining operations.
Each team is composed of technical representatives from the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources from the Central and Regional Offices, and experts from agriculture, fisheries, health, and social action center.
Each team from the regions are assigned to conduct an audit to other regions to ensure fairness in the auditing process.
There is only one mining operations to be audited in Central Visayas, based on the Memorandum signed by Joselin Marcus Fragada, Senior Undersecretary and Undersecretary for Field Operations dated July 29.
Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC), the operator of Atlas Mining Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (ACMDC) located in Toledo City, west of Cebu, is one of the 43 metallic mining operations in the country. A technical team from Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is set to the conduct an audit this month.
The technical team from the Central Visayas composed of Engr. Edgardo C. Loquellano, Monitoring and Technical Services Section Chief of the Mine Management Division (MMD), and Engr. Ramcie S. Brillante, OIC Chief of the Mine Environment Section of the Mine Safety, Environment and Social Development Division (MSESDD) is also tasked to audit three mining operations in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) namely Benguet Corp., Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., and Philex Mining Corp.
The mine safety and health audit will cover an investigation on whether the listed companies have an approved safety and health program, has an environment enhancement and rehabilitation program, has an approved social development and management plan, determine the adequacy and efficiency of the environmental protection measures of each mining operation. The audit will also identify the gaps in environmental protection measures and determine the appropriate penalty for every violations of the mining and environmental laws.
The probe will be undertaken in accordance with the provisions of RA 7342 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
The team from CAR will conduct an orientation with the experts from Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Health (DOH), representatives from the Social Action Center of the Cebu Archdiocese and civil society prior the actual audit on August 10.