Changing the big picture by improving the small-scale – AGC
Media Dialogue Series to Champion Responsible Small-Scale Gold Mining.
In Photo: (Upper from l-r) Abigail Ocate – National Project Manager, Dawn Po Quimque – Communication Officer, Elizabeth Ngo – Executive Assistant, and Mildred Arucan – Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist. Photo by Mario Oclaman // Filipino News Sentinel
Apugan, Sto. Tomas Central – planetGOLD Philippines invited Baguio media practitioners for the 2nd leg of Kapihan Tungo sa Responsableng Minahan where the event from the media will have a dialogue with members of the Artisanal Gold Council to discuss related to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) which is a sector in the country.
It’s about discussing community issues, such as environmental, health, and economic impacts.
According to Dawn Po Quimque – Communication Officer, they are the executing agency of PlanetGold Philippines, “We want an exchange of insights, we know that we have a lot to learn from you, and at the same time we also want to share what we have learned from the project sites, the initiatives and efforts of the projects, we want to show that there is an agency with a project that focuses on the small-scale gold mining community, we are a Canadian NGO based in 2008, the AGC was formed in Canada but in the Philippines, it started when there was the planet footages project which is 2019.
Elizabeth Ngo introduced what projectGOLD Philippines is, “planet GOLD Philippines is a global project funded by GEF or Global Environment Facility with UNEP and INDO this project is being implemented in 24 countries including Philippines, we have partner country in Asia which is Mongolia we are considered in region in terms of a project so planetGOLD Mongolia and Philippines and the executing agency of planetGOLD here in the Philippines is the Artisanal Gold Council also in executing the project we are in partnership with DENR and the Mine Geosciences Bureau (MGB) so, right now we have 2 project sites, the Sagada in Mt. Province and Paracale in Camarines Norte we will discuss the challenges and things approaches we had implemented to overcome the challenges and we will adopt what we need to formalize because this is one of the golden of planetGOLD Philippines, but the main objective of the planetGOLD is to minimize and later on to eradicate the use of mercury in the small-scale mining practices,”
The Project Components of the planetGOLD project aims to contribute to the elimination of mercury in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector by applying a value chain approach from miners to refiners.
The project has identified four immediate outcomes with a set of key activities. 1. Formalization which is Bridge local ASGM workforce into the formal economy and aid in professionalizing the sector. 2. Access to Finance and Markets – Enable miners to produce gold in a cleaner and more efficient way by working with national banks and international refiners. 3. Better Technology & Technique is to improve local mining performance with productivity-enhancing mercury-free technologies and management techniques, and lastly 4. Knowledge Management vto showcase Filipino game-changers and success stories to the national and global mining audience.
According to Abigail Ocate – National Project Manager, she said “Our goal is not just to promote responsible mercury-free practices in the ASGM sector but also to shed light on an often misunderstood and marginalized industry. Engaging with the media is crucial for reaching the public and fostering a deeper understanding of the significant role ASGM plays in national development. It’s the first step toward dispelling misconceptions and inspiring support for responsible mining practices that are transforming these communities,”
The bottom line to reduce using mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is to Eliminate Mercury Use = Safer Miners, Communities, and Environment
Key strategies to achieve this are:
1. Adopt mercury-free technologies (e.g., gravity separation, cyanidation)
2. Implement safer extraction methods (e.g., borax, sluice boxes)
3. Provide training and education on mercury-free practices
4. Access affordable, mercury-free equipment and supplies
5. Encourage policy changes and regulations supporting mercury reduction
6. Promote alternative livelihoods and economic opportunities
7. Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation
Benefits:
1. Improved miner health and safety
2. Reduced environmental pollution
3. Enhanced community well-being
4. Increased access to international gold markets
5. Compliance with global mercury reduction initiatives
Their mission is to make small-scale gold mining safer, cleaner, and more profitable while their vision is a clean global supply of gold from small-scale miners. # Mario Oclaman //FNS
