A Governor’s Permit Holders’ Forum and signing of memoranda of agreements (MOAs) with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson as keynote speaker will be held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City on Tuesday morning, April 12.
This is in collaboration with the Negros Occidental provincial government, Provincial-City Mining Rehabilitation Fund Committee (P-C/MRFC)-Negros Occidental, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-Region 6, and the Negros Occidental Miners Permittees Association Inc. (NOMPAI), a press release from the Capitol said.
The activity aims to provide the permit holders and the project implementers an opportunity to hear from national government agencies about new policies affecting sand and gravel (SAG), and quarry extraction in the province, specifically on the transfer of functions on the processing and issuances of Certificate of Environmental Management and Community Relations Record (CEMCRR) and Social Development and Management Program (SDMP), it said.
As the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) endeavors to strengthen its regulatory services and prepare itself for the devolved functions, this activity will serve as a venue to gather feedback from permit holders on how it can improve its services and work harmoniously with all stakeholders, the press release said.
At least 170 Governor’s Sand and Gravel (SAG) Permit holders in the province are expected attend.
The forum will also be attended by the Regional Executive Director of the DENR, Livino Duran, who will give a message and DENR policy updates.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau – Region 6 (MGB-R6) regional director. Raul A. Laput, and Environmental Management Bureau – Region 6 (EMB-R6) regional director, Ramar Neil V. Pascua, are also expected to attend and enlighten the permit holders on the new policies of their respective offices.
Negros Occidental Miners Permittees Association Inc. president, Engr. Antonio B. Genovea, will also present NOMPAI’s accomplishments/updates.
Other speakers includeDENR-PENRO Forrester Edgardo A. Rostata who will speak on “Uniform Replacement of Trees Planted and Greening Initiatives with Private Sector”, Johnny Matias of MGB-R6 will present the new SDMP-LDP Guidelines; and PEM Officer, . Julie Ann A. Bedrio, will speak on the PEMO-PMRB Policy Updates.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz and members of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) and P/C-MRFC are also expected to be present at the forum.
The highlight of the activity will be the signing of MOAs between the province of Negros Occidental represented by the Lacson, and DENR-MGB Region 6, to be represented by Laput, on the transfer of the functions on the processing and issuances of CEMCR and SDMP.*