Mining industry gears up for community resilience in Caraga
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SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte --The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office XIII spearheaded the 1st Caraga Resilient Mining Week from July 24 to 28, 2023 at the Grand Convention, Gateway Hotel, Surigao City.
The four-day celebration served as commemoration of the National Disaster Resilience Month anchored on the theme, “ Responsible Mining: Pathway to Community Resilience, in partnership with Chamber of Mines- Caraga, Community Relations, Education and Development Officers Organization Incorporated (CREDO) Caraga, Philippine Society of Mining Engineers (PSEM), Caraga Safety and Health Council (CMSHC), and Caraga Mine Environment Council Inc. (CMEMCI).
MGB 13 Regional Director Engineer Larry M. Heradez hailed the gathering as a game changing project that brought the stakeholders from the region to engage across a weeklong series of activities designed to foster stronger collaboration, ignite relevant conversations and chart a new path towards climate change and disaster resilience for the industry, the community, and the country as a whole, all anchored on the principles of responsible mining.
He said Caraga region was chosen among other regions to hold the 1stResilient Mining Week Celebration especially the province of Surigao del Norte due to its vulnerability to disaster and other calamities
Director Heradez mentioned the highlights of the four-day event that include the conduct of a media forum, small-scale mining forum, and the future leaders resilience camp dubbed as “Ako ang Bida” that served as a platform for the youth in Surigao del Norte to develop leadership skills, increase their knowledge of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies and foster relationships that will drive the success of disaster resilience programs in the community. On the other hand, the media forum encouraged the participation of and dialogue between the media and mining stakeholders in achieving our common goals on responsible mining, ecological sustainability and socioeconomic development.
While, the small-scale mining forum provided a platform for the small-scale mining stakeholders to engage with the industry experts, an avenue to tackle relevant laws pertaining to small-scale safety rules and regulations, and a systematic workshop to create a harmonious discussion about the current issues and concerns regarding small-scale mining.
Other relevant activities conducted were the Bonok-bonok booth exhibit, lectures on understanding the Philippine mineral reporting code, professional development sessions, transformative community relations training, declaration of people’s small-scale mining area, presentation of the proposed revision of the Republic Act No. 7076 or the People’s small-scale Mining Act of 1991, and induction of officers of the Caraga Small-Scale Mining Organization.
Officials and employees from the different mining companies in Caraga region took part in the four-day event as well as the local government of Surigao del Norte and Surigao City. (Susil D. Ragas/PIA-Surigao del Norte
