The National Coalition of Small-Scale Miners of the Philippines, Inc. (NCSSMPI), the DENR–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), and the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) today to formalize their collaboration on the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector.
The MOA aims to reinforce cooperation among the three key stakeholders with the objective of reducing and eliminating mercury use in ASGM operations, promoting environmentally sound technologies, advancing the formalization of ASGM communities, strengthening data-driven decision-making and policy development, and supporting the development of the NAP through participatory data collection.
The implementation of the NAP for ASGM is part of the government’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty that protects human health and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury.
The coalition fully supports the NAP’s goal of phasing out mercury in ASGM within a rights-based, just transition framework, ensuring that the shift to mercury-free mining is environmentally sound while securing decent and dignified work for small-scale mining communities.
Recently, NCSSMPI, with the support of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Partylist and BAN Toxics, filed House Bill No. 5840, which seeks to update the existing people’s small-scale mining law to promote decent work, environmental justice, mercury-free small-scale gold mining, and inclusive local development aligned with international labor and environmental standards.