THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is eyeing the adoption of “big brother-small brother” strategy in the mining sector.
The department said it was studying its integration in the social development and management programs (SDMP) of large mining companies.
Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the big brother-small brother strategy would include capacitating small miners and enhancing the resilience of mining communities.
“There must be a way to negotiate the resilience of communities where mining is happening, the social development needs to happen,” Yulo-Loyzaga said in a statement.
“This way, inclusivity in terms of the progress of the community as a whole can really be institutionalized,” she added.
“In this government, you cannot move forward with your for-profit agenda without a national dividend that redounds to a local community. And that’s the bottom line,” she said.
DENR Administrative Order 2010-21, or the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 7942, otherwise known as the “Philippine Mining Act of 1995,” requires mining contractors and permit holders to have an SDMP, aiming for the sustained improvement in the living standards of host and neighboring communities.
The SDMP has a timeline of five years and is funded by the companies themselves by allocating 1.5 percent of their annual expenses.
Out of this allocation, 75 percent goes to community development, 10 percent goes to the development of mining technology and geosciences, and the remaining 15 percent is for an information, education and communication campaign.
The Environment chief noted that the current administration is open for responsible miners who consider not only the environmental aspects of mining but also promote social development.