MGB RO II Attends the 66th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference Minerals Industry Symposium

Some Personnel from the MGB RO II who attended the 66^th ANSMEC Mineral Industry Symposium

Personnel from the Mines and Geosciences RO II attended the 66^th Minerals Industry Symposium on November 21, 2019 held at CAP-John Hay Trade and Cultural Center Baguio City, Philippines.  This year’s theme “66 Years of Responsible Mining: Culture Care Change” was best explained by Dr. Walter W. Brown, the President of PMSEA “We cannot be responsible miners unless we understand and respect the culture of the varied communities in which we operate in. We should sincerely care for the welfare of these communities. Being adaptable to change must come not only from our host communities where we operate in, but also from us in the industry by opening our minds and hearts and being truly interested in the welfare of the people ”.

The symposium proper kicked off with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Acting Director Atty. Wilfredo G. Moncano who discussed five (5) new policy directions for the incoming year 2020 which were: strong monitoring and enforcement, people-oriented by providing jobs and benefits to communities, completion of environmental rehabilitation of abandoned mines and mined-out areas, increase in contribution to national income, transformation into a world-class and competitive mining industry and wider implementation of risk resiliency program to support the climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction program of the government.  The MGB campaign launch for #MINERESPONSIBILITY IEC videos namely: "Kutsara" infomercial, "Minsan kitang Minahan" online advertisement, and "Biyaya ng lupa" documentary were also presented to the audience members which gave a fresh perspective on the importance of mining in our daily lives. One highlight during the event were some mining engineering students from the University of South Eastern Philippines who showcased their Information and Education Campaign experience at their local public and private high schools back in March 2019. According to the students, they were surprised with the positive feedbacks from their target audience and plan to continue the campaign with high school students  from other communities.

An open forum was then conducted to clarify issues and answer questions from the audience members

This annual event was spearheaded by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association which was attended by stakeholders from mining companies, mining contractors and suppliers, government agencies, and academes to discuss a series of lecture focusing on the current situations, challenges, and beneficial contributions of the mining industry. #Kyrie Cleofe Afidchao