Ebdane announced the cancellation in his first State-of-the-Province Address (SoPA) on Monday, saying the move was meant to boost revenue generation in Zambales, as well as to strictly enforce environmental safeguards.
"Effective immediately, I am cancelling all mining and quarrying permits issued in the province of Zambales," Ebdane said in his SoPA.
"Our review shows that there are deficiencies, misrepresentation of facts and obvious violations of the Mining Law, and we must take the hard step to make things right," he explained.
Ebdane said his office will conduct new processing of permits issued to operators of mines and quarries.
He said the strict enforcement of laws and regulations regarding mining and quarrying permits is expected to result in bigger income for the province.
He also ordered a team from the provincial government to review the process, giving them one month to recommend safeguards to implement the Mining Law "as it was intended."
Translation of the Mining Law and Regulations in Force in the Philippines; War Department, Division of Customs and Insular Affairs, July, 1900
According to records of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB), the Zambales provincial government had previously issued permits to 98 mining concessionaires and 12 quarry operators in the province.
Mining and quarry operations in Zambales yield mostly chromite, but minerals like copper, talc, nickel, magnetite, as well as armor rocks and gravel and sand, are also mined.
Previously, Ebdane ordered the suspension of all mining and quarrying activities here through Executive Order No. 2, pending a review of all pertinent documents relative to their respective permits and compliance with environmental protection requirements.
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