The Provincial Government of South Cotabato, through the Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (OPENRO), continues to solidify its reputation as a national model in responsible small-scale mining, balancing environmental protection with sustainable livelihood for local communities.
At present, five licensed mineral processing plants are operating across the province, each duly authorized to process gold sourced from accredited small-scale mining areas.
Siegfred Flaviano, Provincial Environment and Management Officer, said there are 29 operational rod mills, smaller-scale processing facilities that play a vital role in local gold production.
“All these establishments are subject to regular monitoring and inspection by the Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (OPENRO) to ensure strict compliance with the province’s environmental regulations, safety protocols, and sustainable mining policies,” Flaviano said.
As part of its intensified regulatory enforcement, the office has also issued 22 apprehensions and citation tickets to operators found violating provincial and national mining policies demonstrating South Cotabato’s approach to responsible resource management.
Meanwhile, To streamline compliance and promote transparency, OPENRO established a One-Stop Shop for Small-Scale Miners, which centralizes the registration process, safety certification, and issuance of identification cards.
This initiative has significantly improved monitoring efficiency and accountability among mining operators.
Flaviano emphasized that this system was designed not only for regulatory purposes but also to protect miners themselves.
“We want our small-scale miners to thrive safely and sustainably,” Flaviano said.
He stressed that before they can operate, small scale miners must undergo safety training and secure proper identification.
Recently, delegates from Southern Luzon, Northern Luzon, and the Davao Region visited South Cotabato to learn from its best practices in small-scale mining governance, particularly in formalization, policy development, and responsible mineral management.
South Cotabato also holds the distinction of being the first province in the Philippines to establish a Gold Buying Station accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) — a trailblazing initiative that promotes fair trade and transparency in the gold industry.
The BSP has since recognized the province as a national model for responsible and accountable gold trading.
On the other hand, following the recent magnitude 5 earthquake that struck parts of the province, the OPENRO reported no damages or disruptions in small-scale mining operations—an outcome credited to South Cotabato’s strong disaster preparedness measures and its close partnership with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Through this collaboration, regular resiliency and safety trainings are conducted for small-scale miners, funded under PDRRMO’s capacity-building programs, to ensure that mining communities remain both compliant and disaster-resilient.
“Resilience is part of our advocacy,” Flaviano pointed out.
He added that the team worked closely with PDRRMO to make sure miners are not only compliant but also disaster-ready.
“This is how we turn environmental protection into a shared responsibility,” he added.
With these sustained initiatives, South Cotabato continues to set the gold standard for responsible mining and environmental management—proving that economic progress and sustainability can coexist, guided by the province’s core principle of “Tama kag Maayo nga Serbisyo.”
