THE FIRST minahang bayan in Itogon, Benguet will soon operate pending application of small-scale mining contract.
The Benguet Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board (PMRB) on Thursday, December 27 declared the 64-hectare minahang bayan applied by the Loacan Itogon Pocket Miners Association (Lipma) in Itogon.
“You may now apply for small-scale mining contract,” addressed PMRB co-chair and Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso in a meeting who welcomed the minahang bayan in the province.
Following the declaration, miners must now secure a small-scale mining contract to be approved by the PRMB for a maximum of 20 hectares per contract either individual or association.
The PMRB made the declaration after the clearance coming from the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The Minahang Bayan site applied is located within the patented mineral claims of Benguet Corporation Inc. which earlier made an endorsement and a certificate of non-overlap by the National Commission in Indigenous Peoples -Cordillera.
The Benguet Corp. endorsement covers three parcels of land with a total of 86 hectares.
Small scale mining contract refers to the co-production, joint venture between the local government unit and the small-scale mining contractor for the small-scale utilization of a plot of mineral land provided an act creating a peoples small-scale mining program.
Santiago Bugnosen of the technical working group of PMRB stated the applications for Itogon will be transmitted to the office of the DENR secretary.