Separating the oversight of environment and mining sectors lies in the hands of the government as making such a move requires legislative action, a ranking official said on Thursday.
“Right now, I could not personally or conclusively say that it’s the correct decision or correct direction,” Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) chief Wilfredo Moncano said in a virtual event.
Moncano said other countries such as Australia, South Africa and the United States have different government agencies responsible for regulating environmental and mining sectors.
“But it really depends on government direction because we want to streamline the government bureaucracy,” he said, adding the legislative branch will initiate the creation of two separate agencies.
Currently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is tasked to oversee the mining industry and ensure environmental protection. Both functions are carried out by its bureaus: the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the MGB.
But early this week, tycoon Manuel Pangilinan said the EMB and the MGB should be taken out of the DENR and made into two independent agencies. He said the DENR has been put in a “tough position” to address concerns related to mining and environmental protection.