[ Manila Bulletin Online ] March 28, 2008
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — At least 48 mining firms have applied for large-scale mining operations in agriculture-rich Bukidnon province in Northern Mindanao, this was learned recently.
Accordingly, influx of large-scale mining applications had already been observed to the targeted thousands of hectares in Bukidnon province where some local officials expressed opposition to the entry of large-scale mining.
The mushrooming of applications for large-scale mining operations has been noticed at the Bukidnon Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO), another division office of the provincial government in Bukidnon.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is responsible for the processing of documents for mining operation.
Different sources coming from the provincial government in Bukidnon and BENRO office said that none of these applications had been processed even though it is the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR that is responsible for processing the applications.
The applications cover at least 40 percent, or 329,000 hectares, of Bukidnon’s 829,378-hectare land area, it was learned.
Another source from the BENRO office said a number of these firms have applied for public consultation at the provincial level as part of the local government endorsement requirement.
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