DAVAO CITY- Environmental justice group BAN Toxics in partnership with the local government of Barangay Mount Diwata and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) opened the first and only mercury-free gold processing facility in Mount Diwata, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.
Mt. Diwata is considered to be one of the biggest gold deposits in the Philippines, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas estimating that some P2 billion worth of gold produced here annually. Diwalwal, as locals call it, has gained global notoriety for its rampant use of mercury – an environmental destructive and highly toxic substance.
The launch of the facility, which was attended by over 200 artisanal and small-scale miners, hopes to eliminate mercury use in Mount Diwata.
“We believe the small-scale miners of Mount Diwata are willing to change if they were given the chance and the choice. The facility we are putting up will give them the alternative they need to let go of mercury,” BAN Toxics executive director Richard Gutierrez said.
The facility will employ the use of Benguet method, an enhanced traditional technique utilizing gravity and borax predominantly used in the Benguet, and has been popularized by BAN Toxics in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. BAN Toxics will be bringing in trainers from other parts of the country, miners who have abandoned mercury use, to educate and train the small-scale miners of Mount Diwata to utilize mercury-free techniques in gold extraction.
Mercury use in small-scale mining was banned by Executive Order 79 in 2012. Although illegal, mercury can be bought at P5,000 to P8,000 per kilogram through unregulated markets.
According to a study conducted by the United Nations Environment Program, artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the single largest mercury-emitting sector in the world. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) estimates the annual mercury discharge in the Philippines at around 70 metric tons.
“We have witnessed many stories of the transformation of miners who stopped using mercury in gold mining through the help of BAN Toxics. We don’t want to be witnesses anymore. We want to take part in this change and make a positive contribution to our community,” said Barangay Mount Diwata captain Pedro Samillano.
The facility was made possible through the support of the Global Environment Facility and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental and Management Bureau, the Department of Health and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. (pr)
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