March 29, 2024

The Benguet Provincial Mining Regulatory Board has approved during its regular meeting on Oct. 22 the fourth minahang bayan in the province, this time in Mankayan. 

The Federation of Taneg Indigenous Communities Livelihood Association (FTICLA) has applied for the minahang bayan, which covers 96.25 hectares in Barangay Taneg.

This is the first minahang bayan in the municipality, which hosts the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company for more than 70 years now.

FTICLA members and  PMRB officers led by chair and Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Fay Apil and co-chair Gov. Melchor Diclas have signed the declaration last week.

The PMRB also approved the first renewal of the small-scale mining contract of Loacan Itogon Pocket Miners’ Association (Lipma) with an area of 15 hectares at Barangay Loacan, Itogon.

The MGB-Cordillera reported there are 10 declared minahang bayan in the region.

The other three minahang bayan in Benguet are in Itogon by Lipma with 64 hectares; the 287-hectare in Bakun by the Gambang, Bagtangan, Goldstar; and the 31-hectare in Tuba by the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners’ Association Inc. 

Apayao also has three minahang bayan, in Conner where Olivia Catral is managing 20 hectares; another by Manuel Canipas who manages 2.1 hectares; and 20 hectares managed by the Bulawan Land Owners Small Scale Mining Association.

The minahang bayan in Mountain Province was applied for by the Northern Sagada Barangay Small-Scale Miners Association Inc. covering 10 hectares in Barangay Fidelisan.

Abra has one minahang bayan managed by the Ag-Agit Small Scale Mining and Multipurpose Cooperative, Inc. covering 20 hectares in Licuan-Baay. – Ofelia C. Empian