Suspended mines allowed to resume operations

by Madelaine B. Miraflor, Manila Bulletin, 13 Apr 2021

The Philippine government has allowed the mining companies that were suspended and ordered closed by former Environment Secretary and late Regina Paz Lopez in 2017 to continue operating.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wilfredo Moncano said on Tuesday that the government has decided to issue a “Stay Order” on these mining companies amid the pending decision from the Office of the President (OP) to officially lift the suspension and cancellation orders imposed on them by Lopez.

“Those that filed an appeal were able to secure the Stay Order and were continuing with their operations. But it still needs an order from OP lifting the suspension or reversing the cancellation so that these mines will resume operation without unresolved issues,” Moncano told Business Bulletin.

“Not all have resumed commercial operations because the Stay Order means that they will remain on status quo ante or ‘status before the order of suspension was issued by the former Secretary’. So, if they were commercially operating prior to the suspension or cancellation order of Secretary Gina Lopez, then they can resume commercial operations,” he added.

Moncano explained that the ‘Stay Order’ was issued upon the submission of a memorandum to OP, which was signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

That memo, he said, included the request for resolution on the appeals of suspended and canceled mines in the OP from the decision made by Lopez.

In in 2018, upon reviewing the results of the mining audit conducted by Lopez, when Cimatu decided to keep the closure orders imposed on Claver Mineral Development Corp., Oriental Synergy Mining Corp., and Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp.

Cimatu also validated the suspension orders earlier given to Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., Krominco Inc., Mt. Sinai Exploration and Development Corp., Libjo Mining Corp., Wellex Mining Corp. 1 and 2., Carrascal Nickel Corp., Aam-Phil Natural Resources Exploration and Development Corp., Strong Built (Mining) Development Corp., and Emir Minerals Corp.

But as of 2019, DENR already allowed some of these companies to operate again, namely Carrascal Nickel, Emir Mineral, Zambales Diversfied and Strong Built Mining.

Moncano didn’t yet specify which companies recently obtained the ‘Stay Order’, but as of July last year, companies that were being reviewed are Aam-Phil Natural, Krominco, Wellex Mining, and Mt. Sinai Exploration.

As of last year, companies that are still up for closure are Claver Mineral, Oriental Synergy, Ore Asia, and Libjo Mining.