Budget for projects around mines, quarry sites increases

CEBU, Philippines - Funds for social development and management programs (SDMP) from mining and quarrying operations have increased by 334 percent this year, disclosed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau  of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7.

From last year’s P46 million, the budget this year rose to P155 million.

Cebu gets the biggest chunk with 94.86 percent or P147.102 million while Bohol has 4.89 percent or P7.573 million. Meanwhile, Negros Oriental and Siquijor got 0.2 percent or P0.250 million and 0.09 percent or P0.149 million, respectively.

Among the nine, Toledo City-based Carmen Copper Corporation, one of the largest copper mines in the country and the only one operating metallic mine in Region 7, topped the list with P127.969 million.

In Cebu, Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Alcoy Dolomite Mine/Dolomite Mining Corporation in Alcoy with P6.680 million; Apo Cement Corporation/Apo Land and Quarry Corporation with P4.6 million; JLR Construction and Aggregates Inc., P1.9 million; and Quarry Ventures Philippines Inc., P1.275 million, all in Naga City; Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc./Solid Earth Development Corporation in San Fernando, P4.687 million.

Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Bohol Mine/Bohol Limestone Corporation in Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol, with P7.573 million; Heirs of Arturo Zayco/Holcim Philippines in Ayungon, Negros Oriental with P0.250 million; and Lazi Bay Resources Development Inc. with P0.149 million.

“The contractor or permit holders shall allot annually a minimum of one and a half percent of the operating costs necessary to meet the minimum basic needs of the mining communities and enhance human welfare and prevent or reduce social ills,” said MGB-7 Director Loreto Alburo.

Alburo said they will monitor and supervise the projects closely following a directive from DENR Secretary Ramon Paje for the agency’s line bureaus to ensure that communities will enjoy a reasonable and equitable share from mining contractors through the implementation of livelihood and other relevant programs.

The projects or programs enrolled under SDMP include human resource and institutional building; enterprise development and networking; assistance to infrastructure development and support services; access to education and educational support programs; access to health services, health facilities and health professionals; protection and respect to socio-cultural values; and use of facilities and services within the mine camp or plant site.

Operating cost means the specific costs of producing a saleable product on a commercial scale incurred in the calculation of the net income before tax. This shall include all costs and expenditures related to mining or extraction and treatment or processing (inclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization), exploration activities during operation stage, power, maintenance, administration, excise tax, royalties, transport and marketing, and annual progressive or environmental management.

DENR said SDMP is geared towards improving the quality of life of the host and neighboring communities in Central Visayas.

A host community refers to the people living in barangays outside the mine camp where the mining project is located. Neighboring community refers to the people living in barangay(s) adjacent to the host community, areas covered by the mining tenement of the project, areas where mining facilities are located and immediate areas which will be affected by the mining operations. —/JMO (FREEMAN)