Benguet Provincial govt to issue cease and desist order in Bila, Bokod small scale mining areas

By Susan Aro

Tuesday 14th of August 2012

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Aug 14 (PIA) -- The provincial government is set to issue a cease and desist order on the operation of small scale mining activities in Bila, Bokod, Benguet where a miner was trapped for seven days before he was finally rescued last Friday.

Governor Nestor Fongwan said he is waiting for the result of the investigation conducted by the Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board (PMRB) on the small scale mining operations in the area.

Fongwan called on the investigation of small scale mining activities following the trapping of a small scale miner, Felipe Plimaco, due to collapsed tunnel in Coros, Bila, Bokod.

This, despite the order earlier issued by the governor, banning the operations of small scale mining activities in the province due to bad weather.

Fongwan admitted that they are not aware of the existence of small scale mining activity in the area until the incident.

Plimaco was trapped in August 3, 2012 and was only reported in August 6, Fongwan said.

He was rescued August 10 through the joint efforts of the Benguet Corporation and Philex Mines Corporation, assisted and supported by community volunteers from Barangay Bila and its adjacent barangays, Bokod Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Bokod Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection, Bokod Municipal Health Office, Provincial Disaster Operation Center, and a team from the Benguet Federation of Small Scale Miners.

The provincial government is continuously undertaking efforts to identify small scale miners and the areas of operation in line with its profiling activities. (SCA PIA-CAR/Benguet)