RMDC-IX Holds Mining Security Assessment Forum

The Regional Minerals Development Council (RMDC) in Zamboanga Peninsula has recently spearheaded a Mining Security Assessment Forum in partnership with the Minerals Development Council (MDC) of the Office of the President. The half-day forum aimed at assisting mining permit holders and applicants alike, for both the large-scale and small-scale mining industry in identifying the security risks within their mining claims that may pose danger as well as hamper their operations. Further, said forum had aided/provided them with suitable suggestions how to address said risks.

This mining security assessment forum was held at the Waling-Waling Room at the Garden Orchid Hotel last July 31, 2009 and participated in by different large-scale and small-scale mining permittees/holders and applicants coming from the Zamboanga Peninsula. Topics presented during said forum included the following: Briefing on the Creation of the MDC by MDC's Assn't. Executive Director, Dir. Clarence Baguilat; MDC Mining Security Briefing by B/Gen. Celso G. Castro (Ret.), Mining Security Consultant; Mining Security Plans for the Canatuan and Balabag Projects of the TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. presented by Mr. Paul Arias, Security Managerof TVIRDP-Canatuan Project and Col. Cipriano Bayan (Ret.), Security Officer of Balabag Project respectively; Briefing/Assessment on the Peace and Order Situation in R-9 by 1st Lt. Steffani A. Cacho (MIPA) of the Western Mindanao Command and PSI Josef Look of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Philippine National Police-IX. Exchange of ideas, opinions and experiences were openly discussed during the open forum after all the presentations were conducted.

The RMDC-IX is headed by the Regional Executive Director (RED) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of R-IX, Maximo O. Dichoso as Chairman and assisted by its alternate Chairman and Head of the Secretariat, Jessica N. Lucero, OIC Regional Director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau R-IX. Other member-agencies of the Council are representatives from the regional offices of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Presidential Management Staff (PMS), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LnBP) and a representative from a local mining organization or company.