MANILA – The government has formed an inter-agency committee that would look into illegal small-scale mining activity and gold smuggling, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said on Tuesday.
“We are not blinking on our drive against illegal mining in the country, particularly the filing of complaints against irresponsible personalities,” Leo Jasareno, MGB director, said.
The committee is composed of the Departments of Interior and Local Government, of Environment and Natural Resources, and of Justice.
On Monday, the inter-agency committee conducted its first meeting presided by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje. The group focused on the need for a judicial inquiry into the growing incidence of illegal small-scale mining operations and the sale of gold in the black market.
In the first six months of the year, the value of the country’s metallic mineral output dropped by 26 percent to P51.2 billion from P69.2 billion a year ago. The government blamed this on the 95 percent decline in the gold purchases of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
Jasareno said the substantial drop in BSP’s gold purchases from small-scale miners and traders was a telling factor for the sluggish performance.
He said gold production nosedived to 8,382 kilograms valued at P18.18 billion, from 22,804 kilograms worth P44.52 billion in 2011.
The BSP gold purchases accounted for a measly 786 kilograms as against the 15,003-kilogram contribution a year ago.
“In effect, the BSP gold purchases shared only a dismal 9.37 percent of the entire gold production, compared to 74 percent a year ago,” Jasareno said.
The DENR traced the drop in gold purchases to the second semester of 2011 when the Bureau of Internal Revenue intensified collection of the two percent excise tax and 10 percent creditable withholding tax from the sale of gold by small-scale miners and traders.
The BSP, through its five buying stations in Baguio City, Davao City, Zamboanga City, Naga City and Quezon City, deducts the corresponding taxes from small-scale miners and traders and remits the same to the BIR. –Orti Despuez, InterAksyon.com
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos
July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
