Mining security forum held

A one-day forum on mining security was held last May 7, 2009  at the Kanzo Hall and Restaurant this city with some 54 participants attending.  

Officers and staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Bicol (DENR-V) including its provincial and community offices regionwide, the Bicol regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-V), the Regional Mineral Development Council (RMDC),  large and small scales operating mining companies in Bicol, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) graced the occasion highlighted by a briefing on the creation of the Minerals Development Council (MDC), MDC briefing, security briefing and security assessment by the attending mining companies of their respective mining areas and briefing and assessment on the peace and order situation in the Bicol Region.

Notable officials in the forum include DENR-V Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus E. Fragada; MGB-V Regional Director Reynulfo A. Juan; PSupt. Eduardo Chaves, Deputy Chief of the Bicol Regional Intelligence Division of the PNP, Colonels Marlu Salazar and Silvestre Celso, Jr. of the Philippine Army, MDC Security Consultant B/General Celso G. Castro (Ret.) and RMDC coordinator GLaiza T. Baliwag.

Director Juan gave the opening and closing remarks as well as acted as the forum facilitator; Castro on his briefer on the MDC mining security; PSupt. Chavez  and Colonels Salazar and Celso on the peace and order situation in Bicol and Ms. Baliwag’s briefing on the creation of the MDC.

The forum was conducted in consonance with MDC Resolutions Number 2008-03 and 2008-04.

Resolution number 2008-03 requires mining companies and mining contractors, particularly those with Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA), Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), Exploration Permit (EP) and Lease Agreement (LA), to submit a security and social assessment of their respective mining areas while 2008-04 request the AFP and the PNP to jointly establish a security protocol for mining operations.

Resolution 2008-04 also calls for the AFP and the PNP to establish a joint mining security protocol that will guide the mining companies/contractors in dealing with security threats from various rogue elements in their respective mining areas and seeks the assistance of the AFP and the PNP in formulating long-term and short-term preventive measures that can be implemented in coordination with various mining companies/contractors in addressing mining security problems.

Both resolutions are signed by DENR Secretary Jose L. Atienza, Jr.