CEBU CITY – As part of mining firms’ responsibility to ensure that all disturbed areas during their rehabilitation will be restored to its original state as much as possible, the Region 7 Office of the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) has announced that operating mines and quarries in Central Visayas are set to spend some P100 million for their final rehabilitation program.

MGB7 Regional Director Roger de Dios explained that under the Final Mine Rehabilitation/Decommissioning Plan (FMR/DP), which shall be submitted as part of the requirements of existing mining operations, each approved application is subject to allot a specific budget for final rehabilitation.

“The FMR/DP must be done in consultation with local governments and the communities which shall include financial assurances to cover the costs of rehabilitation and maintenance,” De Dios further explained.

“To ensure that all disturbed areas will be restored, as near as possible to its original state or to a pre-agreed productive end-use, mining firms are obliged to allocate a budget for the restoration program,” he said.

Moreover, De Dios added that continuous monitoring over a period of 10 years as well as a social plan to minimize the mine closure’s economic impact to the host and neighboring communities and to mine employees and their dependents will also be vigorously pursued.

The 10-year period shall be divided into two phases which include the active care program of mine decommissioning, that is, removal of all unwanted infrastructure and site rehabilitation, and the identification and treatment of all potential sources of pollutants and contaminants.

In addition, passive care program, which includes a period of sampling and monitoring, will determine if active care has been successful and the “walk-away” state is guaranteed.

Also, the MGB director disclosed that during the development and production periods, mining firms are expected to provide support in attaining the objectives of the Environmental Compliance Certificate granted, “each company has to implement a duly approved Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program (EPEP).”

“The integration of environmental parameters at each phase in the life of the mine that provide incentives for environmental management is an expression of responsible mining as espoused by DENR Secretary Eleazar P. Quinto,” De Dios elaborated.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Alcoy Dolomite Mine/Dolomite Mining Corporation in Alcoy has allocated P31.791 million for its final rehabilitation program followed by Apo Cement Corporation/Apo Land & Quarry Corporation in City of Naga with P12.102 million, JLR Construction & Aggregates Inc. with P3.005 million, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc./Solid Earth Development Corporation in San Fernando with P4.0 million, Philippine Mining Service Corporation-Bohol Mine/Bohol Limestone Corporation in Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol with P49.2 million, Quarry Ventures Philippines Inc. with P1.4 million, Lazi Bay Resources Development Inc. in Lazi, Siquijor, with P18 million and Carmen Copper Corporation with P445 million.