DENR reviews idle mining claims, tenements

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is reviewing all mining claims and tenements with the aim of “re-owning” dormant claims and tenements so they can be reallocated to other investors who will actively pursue the projects.

This was announced yesterday by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose L. Atienza who noted that thousands of claims and tenements are being unproductive held by claimants for the purpose of land-banking and have thus remained unproductive.

Atienza said he has ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to “review and clean up the list of all mining claims and tenements so that we can cancel claims for dormant mines and declare them ‘re-owned’ by the government.”

Atienza stressed that “those who file a claim have an obligation to develop their claims.” Instead, what is happening, Atienza noted, is that “thousands file claims for the purpose of land-banking.”

Such practice has a “negative effect on investors,” he added.

“When investors come, they cannot find any available land anymore because all have been previously claimed,” Atienza said.

The government wants to attract local and foreign investors who are really interested in developing and operating the claim the DENR official continued.

He said the first to be reviewed are claims and tenements aged 10 years and over, followed by five years and over and then three years and over.

According to Atienza, claimants are normally given about two years to start development. The DENR wants to review first those with the longest claims who up to now have not done any development, he said, adding that those with claims of just three years or less may just be slapped a penalty initially for their failure to start development.

Atienza said the review is part of the DENR’s new policy to fully control the export of all mineral resources.

Atienza had previously announced that the DENR is imposing a new policy whereby all issuance of mineral export permits would be centralized with the DENR or MGB head office here in Manila instead of the current practice of leaving it up to the regional offices and LGUs.

The old practice, Atienza said, has resulted in a massive revenue leakage as the DENR, Bureau of Internal Revenue and even the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have no accurate data on the actual amount of mineral resources being exported out of the country.

An Executive Order governing the new policy is still being drafted, Atienza said, and would also include the new policy on the duration and conditions for all mining claims and tenements.