NEDA-CAR holds mining gab to mark RDC Week

>> Friday, November 3, 2023

By Jose V. Costales

BAGUIO CITY -- The Cordillera National Economic and Development Authority held a webinar Sept. 27 which discussed “policy brief preparation for sustainable mining industry practices.”
    This was in observance of 21st Development Research and Policy Month and Regional Development Week celebrated every fourth week of September.
     “The mining industry, which is a sensitive development concern for the Cordillera, should strike a balance between economic benefits and its environmental and social consequences,” said NEDA-CAR regional director Susan A. Sumbeling.
    “The mining industry could serve as an excellent subject for the exercise on writing policy briefs since this can be used as a means of presenting the summary of issues, policy choices, and recommendations.”
    Dr. Shiela Siar of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said “a policy brief should not be an editorial or an opinion article, but based on facts. This should also be concise to help decision-makers make decisions quickly.”
    Lawyer John Ray Libiran, Dean of the College of Law of University of Baguio, said “mining has one of the lowest contributions to national economic growth, accounting for less than one percent of the country’s economy.”
    He cited review results of the Mining Industry
    Coordinating Council (MICC), which included insufficient to no climate mitigation and adaptation programs, problems with FPIC and royalty payments, short-lived impacts of social development and management programs, miniscule share of LGUs from taxes and challenges in
sustaining economic gains from mining activities beyond the mine’s life.
    Among policies cited to address findings were Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) MC 2018-02 or “guidelines for compliance monitoring and rating/scorecard of mining permits/contracts” and MC 2020-01 “guidelines for care and maintenance program for mining projects” and the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources DAO 2018-19 or “guidelines for additional environmental measures for operating surface metallic mines” among others.
    The Cordillera Regional Development Council, as the highest policy-making body in the region, said research is a vital tool for fact-based policies.
    To this, the DPRM is bound to recognize vital contribution of policy research to national development and nation-building by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 247 in 2002.
    RDC Week is also observed per Presidential Proclamation 1164 in 1998 to commemorate establishment of the RDCs as key structure for regional planning and for integrated local planning and investment programming to contribute in national development.
 

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