DAVAO CITY—The regional office here of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) disclosed that the agency has conducted an inventory of areas that have been mined -- meaning those that have been damaged by mining activities or abandoned after extensive mineral extraction—that the agency would use as site of its nationwide greening program.
The inventory was expected to be concluded this year, and provide the mapping “of the sins of the past [mining activities],” said Edilberto Arreza, Davao regional director of the MGB.
The inventory was also done to enable the MGB to find the appropriate place to plant its tree seedlings as its share of the reforestation program of the Aquino administration, Arreza said.
This year, the regional office committed 300 hectares to be undertaken by the three existing mining permit holders in the region: Holcim Philippines, Apex Mining Co. and Asiaticus Management Corp. (Amcor).
Holcim Philippines tied up with the Kinaiyahan Foundation Inc. to plant trees in 50 hectares, while the MGB also coordinated with Ata-Manobo tribal communities in Talaingod, Davao del Norte for another 50 hectares.
“The tribe wanted to plant rubber trees in their areas,” Arreza said.
Another 100 hectares would be assumed by Apex Mines whose area was still being determined by the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office.
The Amcor would plant another 100 hectares in the Pujada Bay area west of Mati, Davao Oriental.
Arreza said the MGB would plant to more hectares next year after the inventory would have determined the abandoned and damaged areas. He said the most of these places were outside Mindanao, saying that there have been no extensive mining operation yet in Mindanao.
The oldest mining operation was in Maco, Compostela Valley, by the North Davao Mining Corp., an Apex concession.
The operations were dis continued the last three decades due to changes in operating companies. The current operator was a Malaysian mining company.
But the rest of the country would see more massive reforestation, with the MGB assigned to plant 62,500 trees for the entire regreening program of the government.
