REGREENING OF MINED OUT AREAS

the most sought-after metallic commodities,” he said. “Among our non-metallic resources, sand and gravel, limestone, marble, clay and other quarry materials are in great demand.”

The Philippines is one of the world’s producers of metallic commodities. In 2010, the Philippines became the third biggest producer of nickel ore, behind Russia and Indonesia, vaulting over Australia and Canada.

According to Paje, the country’s mining industry “has been the subject of intense scrutiny by major sectors of Philippine society, such as local government units, civil society organizations and religious organizations.”

All these can be attributed to the “past and current experiences on the negative impacts of mining on the environment and host communities.” Because of this, “the industry continues to labor under the stig-

BY HENRYLITO D. TACIO

ma of its ‘sins of the past.’

“This is aggravated by indiscriminate mining practices, and the lack of a unified information campaign to address misconceptions about mining,” Paje said.

There are several ways of mining – surface, underground, and open-pit to name a few. Of these, this author is familiar with open-pit as I had been to Hibbing, Minnesota, which was built on the rich iron ore of the Mesabi Iron Range. At the edge of the city is the largest openpit iron mine in the world – the Hull-Rust-Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine.

“Open-pit mining is perhaps the most common mining method due to its relatively low cost.” Explains the book, Mining: Legal Notes and Materials.

“Open-pit mining entails the removal of any overburden in order to expose the mineral deposit. This operation is dependent on the type of overburden. In cases where the overburden consists of highly consolidated rock, blasting (explosives) is used.”

“A valid objection is that mining operations sometimes leave the local population with little residual benefit after the mining operation,” wrote Fr. Emeterio Barcelon, SJ, in his Manila Bulletin column.

“This is not true in most cases as, for example, the Baguio area mining,” he pointed out. “If not for the mines, tourism could not have developed Baguio as it is now. But many of the local people are still poor. This is not because of mining but because of the sharing system.”

Mining operations, however expansive and complex, are temporary. Eventually, once the most accessible and valuable materials have been extracted, the mine is closed. Experts say these mined-out areas, as they are called, should be restored back to their original state.

But is this possible? Dr. Nelly Aggangan from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) said mined-out areas can still be rehabilitated through the government’s Greening mined-out areas in the Philippines (GMAP) program. It adopts the Bioremediation technology, which uses live microbes and plants as biological solutions to clean up and rehabilitate stressed environments such as mined out or mine tailing areas.

Dr. Aggangan is the leader of the GMAP program, which has successfully developed microbial-based protocol that can effectively rehabilitate unproductive mine tailing areas in the country, converting barren lands into mini forests.

Oftentimes, mined-out areas are devoid of plants due to many biotic and abiotic factors and one of them is the presence of residual heavy metals in the mining wastes, according to a press released disseminated by S&T Media Service of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “Bioremediation is the cleaning of contaminated soil with microbes, enhancing carbon capture and reducing heavy metals contamination to surrounding communities” Dr. Aggangan explained.

The first phase of the GMAP F

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The DCPO will be deploying 1,000 security forces including the PNP, auxiliary, and force multipliers for the Ironkids event while another 1,000 forces for the Irongirls and 2,950 for the Ironman 70.3 which will be comprised of 1,200 PNP personnel, 500 auxiliary and 1,250 force multipliers.

Dela Rey said the organizer of the event has not yet given a list of the number of VIPs that will grace the three-day activity.

The cycling route travels via Panabo City and Carmen

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to bounce back to a normal state of mental well-being,” he added.

Meanwhile, Niembra lauded the initiative of CGMTYSSH in ensuring the good mental health status of 10ID personnel.

“Our soldiers are exposed to stressful situations, and it is our prime duty to look for the well-being not only for mission accomplishment but for the betterment of our organization,” he said.

as it makes its way to Tagum City, where it turns around. The second changeover will then take place as participants return to Azuela Cove.

Dela Rey urged the public to plan their travels on that day to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

“Planuhon sa mga tao ang ilang mga travels kay traffic gyud kaayo na. Ayaw na lang sa mo ug travel, tanaw na lang sa mo sa event para makatabang mo sa mga pulis na less ilang bantayanan,” she said.

The mental health teams under the Mental Health and Resilience Center were scheduled to implement the program to all personnel of 10ID headquarters until Feb. 25, and intends to reach out to all 10ID subordinate units.

The initiative is also in line with the Philippine Army’s leadership directive to ensure comprehensive, responsive and relevant mental health and well-being programs for soldiers. (PNA)

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10 suspects in the ambush of the governor in Maguing town in Lanao del Sur last February 17.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said all suspects have links to a drug syndicate involved in the production of marijuana and are also engaged in the sale of illegal firearms.

Lanao del Sur PNP spokesperson Major Alvison Mustapha identified the leader of the suspects as Commander Lumala and Oscar Gandawali.

Police seized a motorcycle reportedly owned by Lumala at the scene of the ambush in Barangay Delimbayan, Maguing.

Gandawali was among the 10 suspects in the ambush of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents in Kapai town, Lanao del Sur on October 5, 2018 where five were killed and two were wounded.

In the morning of February 17, PDEA agents also raided and uprooted 25,489 marijuana shrubs allegedly planted by Lumala and Gandawali in Barangay Bato-bato in Maguing.

Hours later, Gov. Adiong, in a seven-car convoy, passed by the same area on the way to attend an event in Wao, a town in Lanao del Sur bordering Kalilangan town in Bukidnon.

Gunmen positioned on both sides of the road fired at the convoy killing four of Adiong’s security escorts. Adiong, who was in the third vehicle, was wounded and was rushed to Kalilangan and later to Cagayan de Oro for treatment.

The Adiong family released a photo of the governor on Thursday in his hospital bed recuperating from the medical operation that removed a bullet slug from his right hip.

MASSIVE... FROM 3

while another 1,000 forces for the Irongirls and 2,950 for the Ironman 70.3 which will be comprised of 1,200 PNP personnel, 500 auxiliary and 1,250 force multipliers.

Dela Rey said the organizer of the event has not yet given a list of the number of VIPs that will grace the three-day activity.

The cycling route travels via Panabo City and Carmen as it makes its way to Tagum City, where it turns around.

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“Last Congress nga ay isa ‘yan sa kagustuhan ng [dating] Pangulong [Rodrigo] Duterte na ma-amend ang Constitution, nagpakita siya ng support but then again nothing happened,” he said.

“How much more ngayon na ang Malacañang ay lukewarm towards Cha-cha. Mahirap maka-gain ng traction,” he added.

On Thursday, Dela Rosa said he is still undecided if he

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the province because the demand for copra meals would drastically increase.

He said copra meal, a coconut by-product, is a vital ingredient in the production of feeds for livestock and poultry.

“I have not yet seen coconut processing managed by a coop-

He reminded the public to always use fire safety measures to avoid fire incidents as there are heat or ignition sources inside the residences.

He also said that when it comes to fires involving establishments, people usually don’t know how to use a fire extinguisher.

“Pag muadto ta ug mga establishments pinaka basic na requirement ang fire extinguisher na puwede magamit in an early stage sa fire. Kasagaran kung mag conduct mi ug lecture sa mga establishments daghan pa ang dili kabalo kung unsaon paggamit sa fire extinguisher ug isa na sa atong ginaapil sa pagtudlo kay daghan ta ug mga report na nadawat nga usahay naay mga insidente na mahitabo supposed to be matabang. First discoverer naa lang sa iyahang tapad ang fire extinguisher

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Carl Almario and Jufil Sato fired eight-over-par 80s worth 46 points each on Friday, enough for Cebu Country Club to stay atop the overall race with Luisita the new pursuer just two points behind.

Almario, the ex-pro, and Sato saw action for the second straight round and the home bets tallied 133 for the day at Club Filipino in Danao for 423 overall, 33 points ahead of The Orchard in the lower Founders Division race but with an eye on the bigger prize as the 72-hole championship winds down at well-manicured Alta Vista Saturday.

Antonio San Juan’s 41 counted as the last Cebu CC score, while the Luisitans were led by the 48 of Benjie Sumulong in a third round 138. Manila Southwoods grabbed second spot in the centerpiece division with a 134 for 416, seven behind in the overall racem after drawing 48 points from Jun Jun Plana and 46 from Joseph Tambunting.

Luisita will have a very potent roster coming out for the final day, and Jeric Hechanova, the non-playing skipper, is happy at how things turned out after the third skirmish.

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ang problema dili siya kabalo mugamit,” he said. Educating the public how to use the fire extinguisher is one of the activities that BFP-Davao will be conducting during the observation of Fire Prevention Month next month.

March is being observed as Fire Prevention Month by virtue of Proclamation No. 115-A, signed by then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos. This is an ideal time to discuss and raise awareness about the causes, hazards, and dangers of fire.

“Aside sa regular nato nga ginahimo aduna tay pagpangandam para sa pag observe sa Fire Prevention Month ug naa ta’y naka line up na mga activities.mTudulan pud nato sila kung unsa ang buhaton aron malikayan ang sunog,” he said.

the shoulders of Abe Avena, Damas Wong, Mari Hechanova and Rolly Viray for the Sugar Barons’ title repeat bid.

Complete scores:

CHAMPIONSHIP – Luisita 421(146,137,138), Manila Southwoods 416(143,139,134), Canlubang 413(155,133,125), Delmonte 392(139,126,127) FOUNDERS –Cebu Country Club 1 423(150,140,133), The Orchard 390(139,127,124), Riviera 389(141,126,122), Valley 366(122,122,122), Pueblo de Oro 363(125,111,127), Alabang 362(122,123,117), Sherwood Hills 361(132,111,118), Eagle Ridge 358(119,111,128), Villamor Airbase 356(130,117,109), Negros Occidental 355(129,117,109),Filam Hawaii 354(128,111,115), Wack Wack 352(121,125,106), Alta Vista 1 352(125,119,108), Apo 349(132,107,110), Camp John Hay 336(125,119,108), Guinhalaran 334(104,130,100), Manila 313(103,100,110), Taotao Mona 305(118,80,107), Coral Ocean Point 279(88,109,82), Bay City 221(86,67,68) program was done in 20152018 in a copper gold minedout and mine tailing dumpsite in Marinduque. The protocol developed in Marinduque is now being adopted by the local government units and being replicated in Surigao, which is the second phase of the program.

The GMAP in Surigao del Norte which is expected to end this year aims to test the effectiveness of Marinduque bioremediation protocol by assessing Marinduque isolates potency in rehabbing gold and nickel areas. It is also looking for microbes in Surigao that can help in bioremediation.

“We are expecting that these Marinduque isolates will also work in Surigao. If that is the case, we can also introduce the Marinduque isolates in all mined-out areas in the Philippines,” Dr. Aggangan explained over what could happen if the beneficial effects of the isolates from Marinduque are applied to the plants of Surigao.

The UPLB researchers developed microbial-based fertilizers MYKOVAM® which is a soil based mycorrhizal inoculant and MYKORICH®, a sand based mycorrhizal inoculant.

These developed inoculants give way to symbiosis, meaning, there is a give and take relationship between plants and the fungus. With symbiosis, fungi derive nutrients from the soil, while the plants give out carbohydrates and this increases the population of microbes.

Dr. Aggangan clarified the difference between the traditional fertilizer and the inoculants. The former is quite

GILAS... FROM 11

of everything and was all over the floor in this game for what should be his best game so far in the Qualifiers. The high-flyer had 15 points on 6-9 shooting, made three three-pointers, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists, while also getting 1 steal and two blocks. He also threw down one of the best dunks so far in this window, giving the fans their money’s worth.

expensive, easily runs out and can even end up polluting the ecosystem, while the latter can only be applied once and lasts for a longer period.

“Pag palagi kang naglalagay ng abono, nagiging acidic yung lupa. Samantalang sa microbyo, yung acidic ginagawa nyang maging neutral para maging mas malago ang halaman. Pag acidic, posibleng mamatay or maging bansot yung halaman,” Dr. Aggangan pointed out the advantages of inoculants when applied in the soil of mined-out areas.

Inoculants cause plants to grow bigger, taller, more developed roots. Inoculated plants take out more nickel contaminants in soil. As contaminants are drawn in by plants, the soil is cleaned from toxic materials.

Despite the success of the first phase of the program, and the initial success of the second phase, Dr. Aggangan appeals to the mining companies to cooperate and allow them to conduct their research in their mining sites because their previous experience was quite a challenge.

“Hindi ko kaya ito magisa. Tulungan nyo po ako at lalong-lalo na sa mga andoon sa mga mining areas, please help us para naman lalong maganda ang aming maituturo sa inyo,” Dr. Aggangan pointed out.

The GMAP program is under the “Sustainable Communities,” the top priority program of the National Integrated Basic Research Agenda of the Harmonized National Research Agenda 2017 – 2022 of the DOST’s National Research Council of the Philippines.

Stats don’t lie: It was the highest scoring game so far for Gilas in the Asian Qualifiers with 107 points, which came off of 17 three-pointers - tied for most in a single World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers game with Japan, Australia, and Kazakhstan. Nine of the Gilas players dropped at least one of those 17 threes and they all moved the ball around to the tone of 31 assists.

The second changeover will then take place as participants return to Azuela Cove.

Dela Rey urged the public to plan their travels on that day to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

“Planuhon sa mga tao ang ilang mga travels kay traffic gyud kaayo na. Ayaw na lang sa mo ug travel, tan-aw na lang sa mo sa event para makatabang mo sa mga pulis na less ilang bantayanan,” she said. By

Maya M. Padillo

will fully support the move to amend the Constitution in Congress due to lack of support from other senators.

Should move to amend the Charter prosper, the senator said he wants to abolish the party-list systemas he believes that it is abused by some politicians.

Dela Rosa is a member of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes.

erative in a small scale or medium scale because this technology in processing coconut is only limited to big scale companies as it requires huge investments. But there are technologies now that can process even in a backyard,” he added. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

“We are happy and confident because we have a very solid team tomorrow,” Hechanova said as Chino Raymundo, ex-pro Dan Cruz, Steve McDonald and rookie Marty Ilagan come out for the final 18. “Our lineup for four days, it seems, is working.

“The game plan for today was to not be left behind by that much,” Hechanova explained.. “But we were lucky and fortunate that we sliced the lead of Cebu.”

Eric Deen, Nelson Yuvallos, Kyu Ok on and Jay Yuvallos, who scored 53 points on Thursday in Cebu CC’s second round 140, will come out for the final round for the Cebuanos, even as ,Southwoods will have the same four on the course.

Cangolf, meanwhile, got 48 points from Abe Rosal, 41 from Zaldy Villa and 36 from Rene Unson in a 125 for 413, now 10 points behind and with a lot of load left on

PH... FROM 5

At least four Chinese firms, including the Dole (Shanghai) Fruits and Vegetables Trading Co., Ltd./Dole China, Prestige International Co. Ltd., Shanghai Goodfarmer Group, and the Dashang Group, have made purchase commitments worth USD260 million for 2023, based on the DA report.

The DA noted that the exportation of durian is expected to generate at least 10,000

AVIATOR – Mimosa 374(103,141,130), Iloilo 360(123,119,118), Camp Aguinaldo 350(94,139,117), Zamboanga 342(113,124,105), SF Maharlika 338(105,143,90), Sarangani 336(110,117,109), Cebu Country Club 2 334(114,115,105), Forest Hills 321(101,114,106), Lanang 314(98,106,110), Team Tuga 307(104,103,100), Via Verde LA 306(93,97,116), Boggie Buddies Filgolfers 302(91,111,100), Baguio 300(87,108,105), Bacolod 300(86,115,99), Southern California Redhawk 299(99,106,94), Guam Seals 292(84,103,105), Bay Area 2 266(83,91,92), Lumbia 266(78,93,95), Iligan 262(73,84,105), E-Yona 260(95,83,82), Forth Bonifacio 245(74,83,88), Liloan 244(72,94,78), SF Peninsula 219(73,78,68), Guam Compadres 204(70,54,80)

SPORTSWRITER – Club Filipino de Cebu 343(133,98,112), direct and indirect jobs.

Chinese nationals have a strong appetite for durian.

In 2021, total durian imports from Thailand amounted to USD4 billion, more than triple the total Philippine agricultural exports to China in the same period.

The USD2-billion fruit export deal secured by the Marcos administration also covers coconut and bananas, among others.

Edwin Airforce Base 305(98,89,118), MSU Marawi 297(107,81,109), San Juanico 295(111,93,91), Rancho Palos Verdes 292(105,91,96), Paoay 287(103,88,96), Leyte 285(114,66,105), Eagle Ridge Lagitek 284(91,90,103), Dirab 281(114,75,92), PingGolfer’s 281(109,85,87), SFO Alliance of Golfers 276(96,98,82), Van City 1 276(83,96,97), Vancouver 275(95,90,90), Cotabato 275(86,96,93), Guam Seniors 271(111,62,98), PGA British Columbia 269(87,94,88), SFO East Bay Club265(93,93,79), Mabuhay Golf of SFO 264(83,82,99), Club Intramuros 257(103,92,62), Camp Evangelista 262(88,72,102), Filam Fairfield 248(79,66,103), Seattle 244(83,67,94), UP Tee Jots 241(86,65,90), Honolulu 207(74,72,61)

FRIENDSHIP – Malaysian Eagle Hunters 316(101,105,102), Davao City

DA... FROM 5

importers,” Hontiveros said.

Former SRA board member and planters representative Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama said Panganiban’s action was considered “illegal.”

Valderrama was one of those who signed the controversial Sugar Order No. 4, which mandated the importation of 300,000 tons of sugar but which Malacañang said was illegal as it did not have Marcos’ approval and signature as President and Agricul-

300(99,98,103), West Highlands 291(97,92,102), West Highlands 291(97,92,102), Veterans 285(78,88,119), Canphil 284(112,82,92), South Cotabato 270(84,94,92), Engineers and Architects (Eagle) 268(70,106,92), West Covina Warriors 251 (74,92,85), Travelers 248(45,99,104), Par Breakers 246(87,68,91), Fil Oz Sydney 244(63,99,84), Mt Malindang 235(83,63,89), Filam SFO 227(76,65,86), EZ Par 226(70,101,55), Pinoy Vancouver 224(62,69,93), Filam NJ 223(82,79,62), Philam Central Florida 221(49,79,93), Van City 2 214(68,76,70), Moffett Field 1 206(68,66,72), MSU Marawi 2 196(61,67,68), Brotherhood Sharp 194(46,79,69), Bennett Valley 186(61,65,60), Sky West 185(58,64,63), Tri City 184(30,81,73), Pittsburg Filam 183(64,55,64), Moffet Field 2 190(60,45,85), Filcansa 150(73,45,32) ture secretary.

“It’s quite clear that without the sugar order, it’s illegal. If you look at what has happened in the past, there was no importation that did not cover by the sugar order, and what is the use of SRA?” Valderrama said.

Panganiban said he proceeded with an immediate importation of sugar because he considered a memorandum released by the Office of the Executive Secretary a sugar order.