Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leyte SP passes resolution allowing NICUA mining to operate in MacArthur, Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY – A resolution interposing no objection was already passed by the members of the provincial board for the magnetite sand operation of the NICUA Mining operation in the municipality of MacArthur, Leyte.

This after the verification made by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources headed by its chairman Leyte First District Board Roque Tiu on the documents transmitted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Roger De Dios in this region.

Based on the letter of Dir De Dios, the mining firm was able to secure the necessary documentary requirements including resolution interposing no objection from the respective Sangguniang Bayan of MacArthur, Leyte as well as from Barangays Pongon and San Pedro in same town.

NICUA was granted with two MPSA in the municipality of MacArthur under MPSA-290-2009-VIII of Vincent Tan Tiong and MPSA-317-2010-VIII of Edgar Lim

To recall, last December 10, 2011, the Director of MGB appeared before the members of the provincial board for the purpose of final consultation regarding the favorable endorsement to the Magnetite Sand Project of Tan Tiong and Lim under the Mines Operating Agreement with NICUA Corporation.

In the final consultation, the MGB Director assured that the mine rehabilitation program of NICUA Corporation at Barangays Pongon and San Pedro will be faithfully implemented by the company and as a safety net, a rehabilitation cash fund is already allocated.

A Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT) was already organized, according to MGB, specifically to monitor the activities of NICUA Corporation until the time that the mined-out area is completely rehabilitated with representative from the National Irrigation Administration and Department of Agriculture and soon the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Agrarian Reform will also be represented.

The chairman of the committee on environment of the provincial board was also included as one of the members of the monitoring team as ordered by the provincial government of Leyte and approved by the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The MGB also reaffirmed during the final consultation its commitment of its strict compliance to the requirement of consultation before any mining permit is issued at their level and for securing a resolution interposing no objection to any mining project or proposal pursuant to Section 21 of the Environmental code of the Province of Leyte and Sections 26 and 27 of the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

However, Tiu stressed that issuance of resolution interposing no objection is only for the municipality of MacArthur as the mining firm has yet to comply in securing the necessary documents for their mining project in the barangays of the municipalities of Javier, Mayorga and La Paz.

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