SOUTH COTABATO, 28 November– The year 2018 is triumphant for environmental organization BAN Toxics as the South Cotabato government institutionalizes the Multi-Stakeholders Monitoring and Certification Team (MSMCT) for Compassionate Gold implementation through a Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) Resolution signed on Nov. 15, 2018.

“We are very grateful to the South Cotabato government, through the leadership of Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes, in their support to our advocacy on responsible small-scale mining specifically on the Compassionate Gold implementation,” BAN Toxics Deputy Executive Director (DED) Mr. Rey San Juan, Jr. said.

Compassionate Gold is BAN Toxics’ branding on responsible gold from the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) sector. It is piloted in T’boli, South Cotabato. The branding is an off-shoot project of the CARING Gold Mining Project implemented in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the US Department of Labor (US DOL). The CARING Gold Mining Project was implemented to improve working conditions and eliminate child labor in the ASGM sector.

“The issuance of a PMRB Resolution for Compassionate Gold is definitely a milestone for South Cotabato and BAN Toxics. By formalizing the MSMCT, members can now ensure that ASGM operations in the province are compliant to Compassionate Gold standards,” BAN Toxics South Cotabato Program Manager Mr. Elias Salazar mentioned.

Through the MSMCT, ASGM operations in the province will be monitored under the Compassionate Gold standards: not harmful to human health and the environment; done through legal entities and channels; following international norms like the Minamata Convention or the international treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

The Compassionate Gold monitoring team comprises the regional XII offices of the following government agencies: Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); provincial offices including Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Provincial Information Office (PIO); municipal local government units; small-scale mining federation; and non-government organization including BAN Toxics and South Cotabato Foundation, Inc. The Provincial Environmental Management Office (PEMO) serves as the team leader.

Members of the Multistakeholder Monitoring and Certification Team (MSMCT) for Compassionate Gold hold initial meeting.