Banao tribal assembly okays Minahang Bayan bid
A report on the recently concluded 34th Banao Bodong Tribal Assembly held in Talalang, Balbalan, Kalinga in which the community unanimously gave their consent for the processing of their Minahang Bayan bid.
Scott Magkachi Saboy
8/5/20242 min read
Banao tribe bats for a Minahang Bayan
Scott Mágkachi Sabóy
The Banao Bodong Tribal Association (BBTA) of western Kalinga unanimously voted to have their community mines be declared as a Minahang Bayan (People’s Small-Scale Mining Area) during their 34th annual general assembly held on August 03, 2024 in Talalang, Balbalan.
BBTA representatives signified their consent viva voce and in writing in the presence of Engr. Brent Pagteilan and Engr. Von Exequiel B. Walcien of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Cordillera Administrative Region (MGB-CAR).
Officially representing MGB-CAR Regional Director Faye Apil, Engineer Pagteilan said that the consent is the final documentary hurdle the Banaos have to pass before the Kalinga Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) could endorse their Minahang Bayan application to the regional and national MGB offices.
Should the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary issue the coveted clearance, the PMRB will then declare the Banaos’ Gaang community mines as a Minahang Bayan.
Such a declaration does not, however, automatically grant the Banaos the privilege of legally operating the mine. They must, among others, establish a mineral processing zone, and apply for a small-scale mining contract as well as a mineral processing license. This is in line with DENR Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2022-03, which lays down the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 7076 or the People’s Small Scale Mining Act of 1991.
Building on the assembly’s theme, “Rekindling the Spirit of Unity for a Progressive Banao”, BBTA Chairman Clarence Tangdol hailed the community’s overwhelming support for the Minahang Bayan bid as a huge step towards greater development for all stakeholders not only among the Banaos but also for other mining beneficiaries in the municipality.
BBTW Vice Chairman for Mining Affairs Cyril Saboy revealed that the Banaos have, in the last 30 years, unsuccessfully tried to get their gold mining operations legalized. The declared Banao mining area spans 389 hectares. The said area, he noted, was segregated from the 21,000-hectare Banao Protected Landscape in 2020 through House Bill 589 authored by Congressman Allen Jesse Mangaoang.
In contrast, the Guinaang Tribe Indigenous People Cultural Community (GTIPCC) of Pasil municipality obtained theirs in 2022 after 17 years. The first Minahang Bayan in Kalinga, the Guinaang mine covers an area of 700 hectares.
The occasion was also graced by Reggie Wacas representing the office of Congressman Mangaoang and by GTIPCC leader and former mayor of Pasil Artemio Dalsen.
