MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to review all applications for “Minahang Bayan,” or sites of people’s small-scale mining areas across the country to determine their safety against geological hazards.
“We will be stricter in approving Minahang Bayan sites and affirm whether they conform to standards that are safe, especially for the miners,” Cimatu said.
He also directed the MGB to make sure the shelters provided to small-scale miners are safe.
“Their residences should be far enough from identified geohazard areas,” Cimatu said.
Cimatu ordered the immediate revocation of all temporary mining contracts and called for a halt to all small-scale mining activities following the landslide in Itogon, Benguet where close to a hundred miners were buried in a mining shelter during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong on Saturday.
Officials said the government may consider expanding the order across the country to avoid another Itogon incident.