The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. XIII, in partnership with the Caraga Mine Environmental Management Council, Inc., conducted the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee (MRFC) and Multi-Partite Monitoring Team (MMT) Capacity Building Seminar-Workshop on December 1 to 2, 2022 at Parkway Hotel in Surigao City.
Aimed at capacitating the MRFC and the MMT members for the conduct of monitoring on the implementation of the approved Annual Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program, the two-day seminar-workshop equipped the participants with the necessary knowledge that will guide them through the different aspects of their monitoring tasks. The roles and areas of concern of every sector member that will be integrated into the revised MRFC/MMT Manual of Operations were discussed as well.
At the start of the activity, messages were delivered by MGB Caraga Regional Director, Engr. Larry M. Heradez, and DENR Caraga Regional Executive Director, For. Nonito M. Tamayo, represented by For. Maritess M. Ocampo, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services.
The first part of the activity centered on presentations on new DENR Administrative Orders pertaining to Environmental Management. Recent policy issuances on environmental protection, provision of long-term environmental mitigating measures, and strengthening of measures to preserve terrestrial and marine biodiversity in mining operations were discussed at length. On the same note, audiovisual presentations on the field validation of mining companies as to their compliance with the environmental laws and regulations were viewed as well.
The second part of the activity included the workshop proper, presentation of outputs and open forum. In addition, the presentation of issues and concerns also took place before the activity drew to a close. Output of the discussions will form part of the revised Manual of Operations for the MRFC AND the MMT of different mining projects in the region. As such, the recent policy issuances will also be integrated for continual enhancement of the monitoring scheme and validation strategy of the MRFC and the MMT.
Engr. Danny P. Berches, Chief of Mine Environmental Audit Section-MGB Central Office; Mr. Gilbert L. Aquino, Chief of Social Development Section-MGB Central Office; Mr. Kelvin Anthony L. Balaquit, Ecosystem Management Specialist of Biodiversity Management Bureau Central Office; and Engr. Reden C. Mejorada, OIC-Chief of Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division-Environmental Management Bureau Caraga Regional Office served as Resource Speakers during the activity. On the part of MGB Regional Office No. XIII, Engr. Francis Glenn N. Suante, Chief of the Mine Safety, Environment and Social Development Division; Ms. Christie A. Apale, Chief of the Mine Environmental Management Section; For. Enjie P. Cañete, Senior Environmental Management Specialist; and Mr. Esperidion Y. Amper, Jr., Science Research Specialist II, also gave presentations and took part in the discussions during the open forum.
Three hundred sixty-five participants, namely representatives of mining companies, mining communities, non-government organizations, national and regional government agencies and local government units, attended the said activity.
