Cease-and-desist orders have been issued to the people undertaking the six gold-hunting projects, all located in this city.

The seventh project, located in Ansagan, Tuba, Benguet was later closed.

The locations of the illegal treasure hunting activities were at the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) compound at Crescencia village, Barangay Loakan Proper, Barangay Lower Ferguzon, Bokawkan Road in Barangay Camp 7, and Irisan.

In a memorandum, the MGB regional office was directed to monitor authorized and unauthorized treasure hunting operations and related activities by groups and individuals.

Section 6 of DENR Administrative Order No. 2002-2004 requires that all applications for treasure hunting and shipwreck-sunken vessel recovery permits have to be filed with the MGB.

The bureau requires an applicant for any treasure search to pay an application fee of R10,000 and post a surety bond for the treasure-hunting activity to be done.

Applications for diggings in private lands are to be evaluated by a technical working group and endorsed to the MGB director for approval or denial.

All evaluated applications for treasure diggings in public lands are to be endorsed by the MGB regional director to the national MGB director for review and recommendations. Later, the applications are to be forwarded to the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for approval or denial.

If necessary, the evaluation would include a field assessment or verification of the location, public or private, and the structures that may be affected by activities to be done.