The Local Government of the province of Quezon recently disclosed that a proposed ordinance providing for a “Local Mining Code” has been filed for deliberation and enactment by its Sanggunian Panlalawigan.

At present, there are three (3) existing or prevailing national mining laws that are currently being observed throughout all the provinces or territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines and these are the following:

1. R.A. 7942 otherwise known as the “Philippine Mining Code of 1995”
2. R.A. 7076 , an “Act Creating a People’s Small Scale Mining Program”
3. Presidential Decree No. 1899, “ A Decree Establishing Small-scale Mining as a New Dimension in Mineral Development.”

The Quezon LGU leadership, however, believes that said national mining laws are inadequate in addressing local socio-economic as well as environmental, public safety and health problems citing the following rationale or reasons for prescribing a local mining law designed to be only in effect exclusively within the territorial boundaries of the province of Quezon:

• “small-scale mining operations in the province of Quezon have gone too far without due regard to environmental hazards brought about by its abuse”;
• “these mining operations, if left unregulated will bring disastrous effects to the environment”;
• “there is a need to adopt measures and safeguards to regulate small-scale mining operations for the preservation of the natural ecosystem pursuant to Article 98(4) of RA 7160,otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991”;
• “the passage of regulations will generate employment opportunities, thereby alleviating the living conditions of the inhabitants in the rural areas”;