Miners group back proposed ban on coastal mining

The Offshore Mining Chamber of the Philippines (OMCP) is backing the proposed ban on sand mining in some coastal towns in the Ilocos Region to prevent shoreline erosion.

In a statement, OMCP said offshore mining is relatively a new mining concept and needed professional capabilities and expertise.

It said that only those with the expertise and proper technology should be allowed to undertake mining operations in offshore areas, not in shorelines, to prevent further shoreline erosions.

The group issued the statement after Probinsyano Ako party-list Representative Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. presented his position to ban coastal mining in a congressional hearing.

Singson particularly raised concerns over the practice of some mining firms, especially those owned by the Chinese, to extract sand from shorelines in Ilocos Region in search of magnetite.

With this, OMCP cited the guidelines issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on May 16, 2016 that no mining within the 500 meters from the shorelines to offshore to prevent possible coastal erosion, and no mining 200 meters from on shoreline to inland areas of any coastal town.

OMCP added that proper and adequately evaluated Environmental Compliance Certificates must be secured first from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau.

“Dredgers or mining vessels must have an Environmental Impact Assessment from the country of design and/or manufacture,” the group said, citing DENR guidelines.

“Companies involved in offshore mining or dredging must have ISO Certificate on their offshore mining or dredging standards of operation for Environmental Protection and Ecological Balance,” it added.

OMCP noted that offshore mining firms must be adequately capitalized as environmentally safe and ecologically balanced offshore mining vessels are capital Intensive, complete with experienced technical people.

Likewise, the group said that an offshore miner must obtain a DENR-MGB approved feasibility of mining declaration, DENR-MGB approved Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program.

It must also have a duly approved public consultation and acceptance of the local community and resolution from the local government units of no objection to the offshore mining or dredging activity.

Before any export shipment can be done, there must be a mineral ore export permit (MOEP) no less duly passed upon by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the proper payment 4% of excise taxes and proper payment of Mineral Reservation Fees to DENR-MGB of 5%, OMCP said.

So far, only one mining company—JDVC Resources Corporation—has been approved and fully permitted to do offshore large-scale mining operations to mine magnetite iron deposits off Cagayan.

JDVC has already deployed its first deep sea mining vessel, the MB Siphon 1, which has started to do its site developmental stage, preliminary seabed trenching, and bulk sampling preparatory to commercial export shipment.

OMCP counts as members Agbiag Mining and Development Corp., Cagayan Blue Ocean Offshore Aquamarine Services Corp., JDVC Resources Corp., Northern Orient Resources Development Corp., Advanced Technology Resources Mining and Business Process Technology Provider Corp., Mineralogic Resources Corp., and Royal Line Mining Corp.—AOL, GMA News