PHILIPPINES Trends and Developments Contributed by: Patricia A O Bunye and Rafael Raymundo A Evangelista, Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
consolidated to harmonise the provisions before enactment. Optimising Government Permitting Process Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Secretary of the DENR, reported that the prolonged processing time of mining permit applications is one of the significant roadblocks that derail mining invest - ments and hamper the growth of the mining industry. To address this roadblock, the DENR plans to speed up the evaluation of mining permit applications by instituting a digital application process, particularly with exploration permits (EP) and Mineral Production Sharing Agree - ments (MPSAs). This streamlines the application process by reducing waiting time and eliminat - ing indiscretions. The DENR reported that the initial roll-out was already implemented in three regions in the country and once polished, will be implemented nationwide. Such initiative is believed to reduce the mining permit applica - tion process from the usual 6-to-11 years to as fast as two years. Aside from the digitised application process, the DENR also plans to implement “parallel process - ing” to shorten bureaucratic approval of mining permit applications. Under the parallel process - ing, application requirements that are not pre - requisites for the securing of another govern - ment permit will be simultaneously processed by the pertinent government agency. This system will do away with the current sequential approval and will shorten the processing of all regulatory permits needed to operate a mine in the Philip - pines. Addressing Climate Change In a keynote message before the mining indus - try held on 22 November 2024 in Baguio City, Secretary Loyzaga urged the mining sector to innovate its operations to address the impacts
of climate change. Secretary Loyzaga under - scored that mining operators must endeavour to mitigate their environmental footprints and the social consequences of climate-related threats. She reported that the DENR held important dis - cussions with key players in the mining industry to ensure that resilience in operations translates to climate and disaster resilience of the host and surrounding communities of mining tenements. Secretary Loyzaga urged mining companies to adopt weather and ground movement sensor data which will serve as early warning mecha - nisms to prevent hazards from becoming dis - asters. Secretary Loyzaga highlighted that the adoption of a climate-risk and development perspective in national and planning efforts is now a priority of the government. This is in connection with the call of the United Nations Secretary Gen - eral to heads of delegations of mineral-rich and climate-vulnerable developing countries, such as the Philippines, to attend a special meeting during the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), where the findings and recommendations of the critical energy tran - sition minerals panel study was launched. In this meeting, in-country processing instead of exporting raw ore was advanced and recom - mended to address the intersecting targets of poverty reduction and transition to clean energy through transparency, responsibility and equity. Mines to Begin Commercial Operations Several notable metallic mines are expected to begin commercial operations in the next few years. The Silangan mine project, situated in Surigao del Norte in southern Philippines, is expected to begin commercial mining operations in 2025. The project is being developed by Philex Mining
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