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Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU
Caraga Regional Office XIII
Km. 2, National Highway, Surigao City

NOTICE OF APPLICATION

OF

DANILO DE LARA ORQUINA

FOR

MINERAL PRODUCTION SHARING AGREEMENT

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 38, of DENR DAO No. 96-40, as amended, the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 7942, otherwise known as the “Philippine Mining Act of 1995 of DANILO DE LARA ORQUINA with office address at Bernadette Village, Brgy. Luna, Surigao City has filed an application / proposal for Mineral Production Sharing Agreement for the exploration and development of gold, copper and other base metal resources, particularly describe as follows;

I : Application Number : APSA NO. 000064–XIII
II : Date of Filing / Registration : September 15, 1997
III : Area / Location: 324 hectares Municipality of Bacuag, Province of Surigao del Norte, Island of Mindanao.

The applied area is subject to Section 15 (“Areas Closed to Mining Location”), Section 16 (Ancestral Land”) and Section 105 of DAO No. 96-40 as amended, which provide, among others, that:

a) The following areas are closed to mining applications: areas covered by valid and existing mining rights; existing mining rights/applications, old growth/virgin forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, protected areas and other areas expressly prohibited by law;

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Gov. Sol F. Matugas explains HEALS - Health, Education, Agriculture/Aquaculture, Livelihood & Social and Spiritual Development as priorities of the new administration of the Province

Surigao del Norte and Surigao City both have new chief executives.  Former DepEd Regional Director Dr. Sol  F. Matugas assumed the Office of the Provincial Governor while engineer and businessman Ernesto T. Matugas took over  as the new Mayor of the City of Surigao.

Local government units are recognized to have a crucial part in the regulation and development of mineral utilization in the Region and the Province.  With the entry of new sets of LGU Officials after the May 10, 2010 elections, the Office, in the exigency of  public service, briefed our new chief executives about the status and issues pertaining to mining and geosciences development in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

On 6 July 2010, DENR-MGB 13 Regional Director Alilo C. Ensomo, Jr. with his team has made a courtesy visit and short briefing to Surigao City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas.  During the said meeting, the good Mayor raised  several issues pertaining to the Surigao Watershed and Philnico’s Nonoc Nickel Project.  DENR-MGB 13 on his part, has prepared its recommendations to address the current issues at the watershed and asked the Mayor his timely intervention for the reactivation of the Nonoc Nickel Project.

On 7 July 2010, the Office has likewise made its visit to Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas.  As  a veteran in education, Gov. Matugas highlighted education as one of her thrusts.  During the meeting, the Governor discussed some opportunities and possibilities of providing holistic development for the education sector through the Social Development and Management Program of the operating companies in the Province.  She likewise gave importance to health, livelihood, environment, public safety, job generation, among others.

With the zest shown by the newly elected local chief executives, both in the Province and the City, we are sure to have great challenges and milestones ahead of us.

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Turn-over ceremony at the DENR Social Hall on July 2, 2010.

As posted at the DENR Central Office Website

Career service shines even more for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with Pres. Benigno Aquino III’s appointment of a forester who takes over the agency’s top post from a mining engineer.

Newly-appointed Acting Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, a top-rank Career Executive Service Officer, replaced Horacio Ramos, a fellow career officer, in a simple turnover ceremony held on Friday (July 2) at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City and witnessed by a crowd of DENR officials and employees, including former officials of the Department and industry organizations.

In his speech that needed no cue cards, Paje shared the President’s “marching orders” in implementing six of the DENR’s major programs: clean air and water especially in Metro Manila and in other urban centers; land productivity; enhancement of forest and marine resources with the completion of the delineation of forestline boundaries; an honest-to-goodness climate change mitigation, adaptation and anticipation program; and well-defined and effective anti-corruption measures.

“P-Noy won through a people’s campaign, and we will have to implement our programs through people’s participation,” Paje said, adding that as much as 40% of the environmental problems would be solved by enlisting the cooperation of the people.

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Awardees from the mining industry posed with DENR Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser and DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Regional Director Ester Olavides.

Last June 10, 2010,  the Department of Environment and Natural Resources celebrated its 23rd anniversary with a simple ceremony at the DENR Regional Office in Butuan City  by giving awards and commendations to  DENR –Caraga personnel and partners who in one way or another have contributed to the successful implementation of the DENR programs.

Among those commended were the mining companies in Caraga Region like Cagdianao Mining Corporation (CMC) , Philsaga Mining Corporation (PSMC) and MRL Gold Phils. (MRL) for their contribution in Reforestation Program and Integrated Coastal Management Program. Reforestation programs are being undertaken by the mining companies in their claimed areas and communities and Philsaga Mining Corporation is among the mining companies who have been in the forefront of initiating best practices in reforestation through their Mining Forest Program.

Cagdianao Mining Corporation and MRL Gold Phils., Inc. on the other hand, were commended  for their efforts in Coastal Management . CMC on his part was involved in the protection of the coastal areas known as the Gaas Bay Marine Protected Area and  in rehabilitating the Mangrove areas. The same is true for MRL  who have been  implementing  the program not as a mandatory requirement for the company but as a sheer commitment in the protection of the environment.

Also awarded are two long-time partners in development of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Caraga: REACH Foundation  and the Diocese of Surigao. REACH FOUNDATION INC. is an environmental NGO based in Surigao City with  community development  interventions in various mining communities  in Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands. While the Diocese of Surigao is our partner from the religious sector which jurisdiction covers the entire province of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.

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The soon to be first Mamanwa Mining Engineer.

The Regional People’s Hour is a banner program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources aimed at bringing the agency closer to the people. This initiative is very timely and entirely unique since for a long time government processes has been always known to be tedious and too bureaucratic.  The DENR has conducted this activity in several regions in the country and for the 5th time, this was held at the City Cultural Center, Surigao City, Caraga Region last June 16, 2010.

In every Regional Peoples Hour conducted, the DENR Secretary makes himself available for a one on one discussion of the issues and concerns brought at his desk by stakeholders during the Regional People’s Hour. People can air their issues on the environment, including mining, directly to the DENR Secretary and they can immediately get a response from the DENR Secretary to resolve their concerns.

In Caraga Region, the DENR Secretary Horacio C. Ramos was represented by the Undersecretary for Line Agencies Honorable Jeremias L. Dolino. USEC Dolino spent hours entertaining the queries of various DENR stakeholders. He was assisted by key officials of the DENR Central Office, DENR Regional Executive Director Edilberto S. Buiser, Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Caraga  Regional Director Alilo C. Ensomo, Jr., Environmental Management Bureau –Caraga Regional  Director Ester A. Olavides.

USEC Jeremias L. Dolino attentively listens to the concerns of one of the stakeholder during the Peoples’ Hour.

After the Regional People’s Hour, Land Titles were awarded to the residents of Barangay Sukailang, Surigao City followed by the giving of symbolic check to the recipients of the Upland Development Project of the DENR. Finally, Certificates of Recognition were awarded to 27 scholars of the mining companies in Caraga Region. Among the scholars, were the IP students of Timamana National High School, Timamana, Tubod, Surigao del Norte and  the Mamanwa scholar  from Barangay Taganito, Claver, Surigao del Norte who is currently taking up  Mining Engineering at St. Paul University, Surigao City.

After Caraga, the Regional People’s Hour with the DENR Secretary will continue to meet people   from all walks of life in other regions to hear various issues and concerns affecting the environment.

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MESD Chief Engr. Reynaldo Gonzales gave updates on several issues and concerns recently discussed during the MESD forum in Manila

The Caraga Mine Environment Management Council (CMEMC) is an association of all  Mine Environmental Protection and Enhancement Officers (MEPEO) and other environmental officers or practitioners connected with the mining companies in Caraga Region. The members gathered together last May 25, 2010 at MGB 13 Training Center, Surigao City for its  first general assembly meeting for the year 2010.

There were 23 members who attended the meeting and during the activity, recent updates on mining policies that will create changes to the future cost of the community development undertakings of the company were tackled which will pave way for a more and bigger projects for the host and neighboring communities.

On the other hand, compliance of the mining companies on mandatory requirements was reviewed to further improve efforts in environmental protection.  Their timely submission of the reportorial requirements, deposit of the  fund obligation and a solid field accomplishment are said to be  the key to an effective environmental mitigation in their areas of responsibility because the environmental officers of the mining companies are the front liners of the mining companies in the protection of the environment and in addressing the possible impacts of the project to the surroundings.

Issues and concerns that hamper best practices of the mining companies were discussed with the Mining Environment and Safety Division of MGB 13 for a better and smoother implementation of the environmental protection programs and activities of the mining companies.