THE Provincial Government of Benguet initiated the first step to regulate the conduct of small-scale mining operations in the province.

Enumerators have been deployed to various mining areas of the province to account all individuals engaged in small-scale mining.

While admitting many are skeptical and apprehensive of the exercise, Engr. Lomino Kaniteng, president of the Benguet federation of small-scale miners, said the initiative will help the industry, which has been clamoring for legalization.

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He asked small-scale miners to cooperate and be candid in answering survey questions.

"With this exercise, we will be able to know how many are actually engaged in small-scale mining. We will also be able to determine small scale miners who are migrants to the province," Kaniteng said.

Migrant small-scale miners are being targeted in the intensified campaign on environmental protection.

"Since they are not natives to the province, they have lesser regard for the environment. We want to focus the environmental protection campaign on them," he said.

The Provincial Government allotted P200,000 for the profiling of the small-scale miners.

Miners are not honest in disclosing their actual gold production for fear that this will be used as basis for their taxation.

The federation estimates the number of small-scale miners scattered in the mining areas to reach 20,000, as compared to the 16,000 recorded by the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau.

Kaniteng said the figure will still grow after the profiling, as the undertaking will also include sand and gravel businesses and quarrying activities.