THE Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board (PMRB), tasked with reviewing and monitoring permits and other mining applications in Cebu Province, has been convened.
According to Capitol Assistant Administrator Aldwin Empaces, the board includes five members: the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as chair, the governor as vice chair, two mining sector representatives, and one civil society member.
The move follows Governor Pamela Baricuatro’s directive for a transparent special review committee that will recommend policies to prevent irregularities in quarry permits and other mining activities.
Baricuatro issued an executive order on July 28, 2025, suspending all quarry operations in Cebu Province for 30 days to review processes.
The suspension affects 10 companies and nine special disposal permit holders found to have violated regulatory standards.
The PMRB has jurisdiction over quarry operations covering one to five hectares, while the MGB of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources oversees quarry operations larger than five hectares.
Before the PMRB was convened, mining permits and applications were approved by the governor through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro). Under the new process, applications will first be reviewed by Penro and the PMRB before being endorsed to the governor for approval.
Empaces, who chairs the review committee, said they are ready to submit recommendations to Baricuatro for approval.
Among the proposed reforms are streamlining the permit application process, ensuring that operators comply with environmental laws and regulatory standards, and guaranteeing that no party is given undue advantage.
“We want to come up with an institutional solution that ensures transparency and fairness for everyone,” said Provincial Administrator Joseph "Ace" Durano.
“If you are happy that we have gathered here today, we are also pleased. Complaints have been piling up, and if we address them one by one, we would have no time left for other work,” he added.
Baricuatro earlier created the special review committee to ensure transparency in reviewing quarry permits and related mining activities.
The committee is tasked to conduct a comprehensive review of all special permits issued by the Cebu Provincial Government for quarry operations. This includes assessing compliance with permit terms, provincial revenue codes, and environmental laws.
It will also verify authorized extraction or disposal volumes, conduct site inspections to address violations such as poorly maintained siltation ponds or extraction outside designated areas, and evaluate complaints on operator compliance.
Within the 30-day suspension, the committee will recommend actions for each permit, including lifting suspension for compliant operators, extending or revoking permits for violators, or imposing fines and other sanctions./ ANV