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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESSSecond Regular Session

19 0ouse Resolution No.Introduced by Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raymond V. Palatino

A RESOLUTIONURGING THE MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU AND OTHER CONCERNEDGOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO BRIEF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ABOUTTHE STATUS OF ABANDONED OR NON-OPERATING MINES IN THE COUNTY WITHA VIEW TO ASSESS THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ON THE HEALTHAND SAFETY OF SURROUNDING POPULATIONS AND EVALUATE THE PLANS ANDPROGRAMS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO REHABILITATETHEM

WHEREAS, the 1987 Constitution provides that it is a State Policy to "protect and advancethe right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony ofnature" (Section16, Article II);

WHEREAS, during the last three decades, several large-scale mines in the country have beenshut down due to labor disputes, economic loss, negative environmental impacts and rejected miningapplications. However, none of these mines was rehabilitated right after closure as governmentregulations during that time lacked the provisions to enforce remediation;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act which was enacted in1995 provides guidelines on mine rehabilitation and decommissioning. The law obliges contractorsand permit tees to "technically and biologically rehabilitate the excavated mined-out, tailings coveredand 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 hastwelve principles, among which is the remediation and rehabilitation of abandoned mines to addressthe negative impacts of past mining activities;

WHEREAS, the Mine Rehabilitation and Enforcement Section of the Mines and GeosciencesBureau's Mining Environment and Safety Division is tasked to manage and coordinate the AbandonedMines Program;

WHEREAS, in 2001, U.S.-based environmental consultancy firm Tetra Tech EM Inc.. whichwas tapped by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, released a report on 20 abandoned mines across

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the country which showed that all pose environmental and health risks. The study said that land andwater media in these sites are impacted with chemical contaminants, which may harm human healthand the aquatic, terrestrial and wild lives. It warned that the surrounding population and the receivingenvironment will be continuously exposed to both chemical and physical risks unless propermitigation and corrective actions are undertaken;

WHEREAS, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau recently stated that it plans to take over oldand abandoned mines, the value of which was initially placed at 88 billion pesos, and declare them asstate assets in order to exploit the high prices of metal in the world market. Under the proposal of theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources, processing and developing the wastes of theabandoned mines will be bid out to mining companies as a way for the government to earn revenuefrom the scheme;

WHEREAS, efforts to rehabilitate these abandoned or non-operating mines should be in theframework of protecting our finite mineral resources from more plunder and depletion and the healthand safety of nearby communities. Instead of tapping these resources to further liberalize ourcountry'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 nationalindustrialization and local development;

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

Adopted,

HON. RA OND V. PALATINORepresen tive, Kabataan Party-list