DAVAO CITY, Philippines – At least 36 small-scale miners have started to undergo a three-month mine safety and skills training before they shall be allowed to operate the developed blocks below the 600-meter above sea level at the gold-rush site in Mt. Diwalwal, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.
Philippine Mining Development Corp. southern Mindanao executive director Rudy Palma said the training of the miners is part of the overall development plan for Mt. Diwalwal, particularly for the full-scale extraction of the ore deposits at the Victory Tunnel area.
PMDC has been tasked by the Supreme Court in a ruling in 2006 to manage the resources in Mt. Diwalwal.
The 36 trainees are among those who are expected to be part of the ore-sharing agreement PMDC has signed with the small-scale miners group in the area.
The small-scale miners have actually organized themselves into cooperatives that in turn entered into an agreement with PMDC. – Edith Regalado