DOST, partners to pilot gold processing plant in Benguet

By Carlito Dar

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The Department of Science and Technology will be bringing in mineral processing technology that will help the country’s small scale mining communities to have a better recovery from gold ore and achieve an environment-friendly mining industry.

DOST Cordillera regional director Julius Caesar Sicat, said in partnership with  University of the Philippines – Diliman and Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research Development , they will be piloting in Cordillera particularly in Itogon, Benguet  field-testing of Integrated Gold-Copper Mineral Processing Plant.

“This project which is the first in the Philippines, aims to solve the long-time mining problem, which is the use of cyanide and mercury that leads to poisoning. With the technology developed by UP Diliman, small-scale miners can improve the recovery of gold and we can have a better mining environment”, he said.

UP-Diliman project head, Dr. Herman Mendoza, said the technology they developed can environmentally optimize the recovery of gold and other metals by using gravity concentration and floatation, refining gold concentrates and application of integrated disposal and treatment of tailing materials.

“This is a simple technology wherein by using the physical property of gold, we can improve the recovery of gold by 80 to 90 percent. We can also reduce the hazard as the processing will be without sanitation or amalgamation,” he  said.

“Our vision here is to promote a responsible small scale mining industry that utilizes the country’s mineral resources while providing economic stability and ensuring environmental sustainability”, Mendoza added.