Small-scale mining revisited

CHEERS TO the Philippine Daily Inquirer for its two-part special on small-scale mining and how a small community in South Cotabato can serve as a template for small-scale mines in the country.

Published Dec. 7 and 8, the Inquirer visited the community of “Minahang Bayan” in T’boli, one of South Cotabato’s gold-rich towns.

“The Minahang Bayan, which curiously sits inside the 84-tenement claim of Canadian-owned Tribal Mining Corp., is the only small-scale mining site in the country fully monitored and regulated by the local government,” the report wrote. (“A template for small-scale mining”, “In South Cotabato, a template for small-scale mining“)

Small-scale mining is still regarded as an informal sector in the country, according to the report. But in South Cotabato, officials are trying to formalize it given its contribution to the economy. Regulated small-scale mining has opened chances for a number of indigenous peoples to earn a living, the report added. South Cotabato has also individualized the issuance of small-mining contracts, “increasing compliance to environment laws to as much as 90 percent among operators,” according to the Inquirer.

A background “In the Know” sidebar accompanied the special, explaining what small-scale mining is, the number of small-scale miners in the Philippines, and it’s contributions to the economy.