Miners in Baguio City are now asking for a little more time from the city government as its City Mining Regulatory Board (CMRB) has officially issued a formal recommendation for the closure of the remaining mines in Baguio.
Small-scale mines in the city are located in the villages of Camp 7, Kias, and Atok Trail, and are currently serving some 264 small-scale miners, according to city profiling and accounting.
Earlier, the CMRB’s technical working group, represented by Assistant City Environment and Parks Management Officer Engr. Marivic Empizo, presented to the small-scale miners from barangays Camp 7, Kias and Atok Trail, their findings and recommendations related to the ongoing small-scale mining operations in the said areas.
These included the complete closure of the mining tunnels in Camp 7 and Kias, effectively shuttering the mining operations in those areas, citing encroachment concerns on both government and private properties.
The counteroffer of the mining community has been to seek the declaration of a Minahang Bayan status on the Atok mines, which is a declared mineral reservation under the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
According to the miners, the declaration of a Minahang Bayan status, which legitimizes small-scale mining areas and applies rules and regulations to the miners that exploit said mines, would enable the miners to keep their livelihoods while the city would be able to regulate and monitor their activities.
While no final action has been taken, Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong has allowed the miners to firm up and consolidate their input in preparation for a future dialogue that would settle the status of the two remaining small-scale mines in Baguio.
