REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS Second Regular Session

House Resolution No.

19 0

Introduced by Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raymond V. Palatino

A RESOLUTION URGING THE MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU AND OTHER CONCERNED GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO BRIEF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THE STATUS OF ABANDONED OR NON-OPERATING MINES IN THE COUNTY WITH A VIEW TO ASSESS THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF SURROUNDING POPULATIONS AND EVALUATE THE PLANS AND PROGRAMS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO REHABILITATE THEM WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution provides that it is a State Policy to "protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature" (Section16, Article II); WHEREAS, during the last three decades, several large-scale mines in the country have been shut down due to labor disputes, economic loss, negative environmental impacts and rejected mining applications. However, none of these mines was rehabilitated right after closure as government regulations during that time lacked the provisions to enforce remediation; WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act which was enacted in 1995 provides guidelines on mine rehabilitation and decommissioning. The law obliges contractors and permit tees to "technically and biologically rehabilitate the excavated mined-out, tailings covered and disturbed areas to the condition of environmental safety" (Article XI, Section 71); WHEREAS, in 2004, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 270, setting forth the National Policy Agenda on Revitalizing Mining. The revitalization program has twelve principles, among which is the remediation and rehabilitation of abandoned mines to address the negative impacts of past mining activities; WHEREAS, the Mine Rehabilitation and Enforcement Section of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau's Mining Environment and Safety Division is tasked to manage and coordinate the Abandoned Mines Program; WHEREAS, in 2001, U.S.-based environmental consultancy firm Tetra Tech EM Inc.. which was tapped by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, released a report on 20 abandoned mines across

the country which showed that all pose environmental and health risks. The study said that land and water media in these sites are impacted with chemical contaminants, which may harm human health and the aquatic, terrestrial and wild lives. It warned that the surrounding population and the receiving environment will be continuously exposed to both chemical and physical risks unless proper mitigation and corrective actions are undertaken; WHEREAS, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau recently stated that it plans to take over old and abandoned mines, the value of which was initially placed at 88 billion pesos, and declare them as state assets in order to exploit the high prices of metal in the world market. Under the proposal of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, processing and developing the wastes of the abandoned mines will be bid out to mining companies as a way for the government to earn revenue from the scheme; WHEREAS, efforts to rehabilitate these abandoned or non-operating mines should be in the framework of protecting our finite mineral resources from more plunder and depletion and the health and safety of nearby communities. Instead of tapping these resources to further liberalize our country's mining industry, which for so long has been laid open to foreign and private control, rehabilitation programs should be in line with reorienting the current policy on the ownership, management, and governance of these resources towards a rational manner for national industrialization and local development;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, to urge the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and other concerned government agencies to brief the House of Representatives about the status of abandoned or non-operating mines in the country with a view to assess their impact on the environment and on the health and safety of surrounding populations and evaluate the plans and programs being undertaken by the government to rehabilitate them.

Adopted,

HON. RA OND V. PALATINO Represen tive, Kabataan Party-list