Eastern Samar compels mining firms to comply with local rules

The local government of Eastern Samar is asking six mining companies to fully comply with all their operating requirements, which includes settling taxes, before the year ends to keep their businesses in the province.

Eden Ivy Rose Balagasay, Eastern Samar's provincial legal officer, told reporters on Tuesday that mining companies should strictly implement environmental and social protection measures, ensure the welfare of mining workers and carry out socio-economic development and health programs for the residents of their host communities.

The provincial government issued the warning to the six mining companies operating in Homonhon during a special meeting held at the Provincial Capitol of Eastern Samar in Borongan City last month.

The companies are Cambayas Mining Corp., Emir Mineral Resources Corp., Techiron Resources Inc., Mt. Sinai Exploration and Development Corp., Chromiteking Inc. and Nickelace Inc.

The entities were initially given two weeks to follow the mandates of their respective MPSAs, but the deadline was extended until the end of the year to provide them more time to comply.

Mining companies were also sent demand letters and notices of tax delinquencies, along with the corresponding attachments of their respective unpaid real property taxes on their extracted minerals.

Balagasay said that the local government will formally request the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to suspend or cancel their mineral production-sharing agreements or MPSAs should they fail to comply with the local rules.

According to Provincial Treasurer Antonia Macawile, five of these miners have combined RPT arrears estimated at P133.9 million based on the aggregate volumes listed in their chromite and nickel ore stocks transport permits. These are issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau for transporting the unprocessed mineral ore that they can extract from their mine sites.

Based on Eastern Samar government's records, Cambayas has unpaid RPTs totaling P96.6 million over the 2012-2016 period; Techiron, P22.6 million; Emir, P12.1 million from 2017 to 2022; and Mt. Sinai, P2.6 million in 2013. The unsettled RPTs of Nickelace are yet to be computed.

The provincial government is at present reviewing and evaluating the available performance and compliance reports of the companies.