The other week, reports surfaced on news sites and social media regarding the termination of a Small-Scale Coal Mining Permit (SSCMP) issued by the Department of Energy (DOE) to an applicant from Obi, Caramoran.
Based on communications sent by the energy department to the Vice Governor Peter Cua and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, a certain Adelbert Z. Almario submitted his application for the issuance of the SSCMP to the DOE last December 10, 2023, along with a copy of the controversial SP ordinance temporarily suspending the implementation of Provincial Ordinance No. 006-2013, which declared the province of Catanduanes as a Mining-Free Zone, to allow the small-scale mining of coal only.
The DOE found Almario’s application covering an area in Obi to be technically feasible and suitable for small-scale coal mining. It was claimed at the time that the coal mining operation would not use heavy equipment and the coal will be extracted through tunneling, with no disturbance of the surrounding forest.
Thus, it issued the permit on February 12, 2024, to be effective until October 13, 2024 “unless otherwise terminated earlier for exhaustion of coal reserves, violation of terms and conditions hereof of or BED Circular No. 87-03-001, as amended, resumption of mining ban or through voluntary resignation by the Permittee.”
On March 18, Energy Resource Development Bureau Director Nenito C. Jariel Jr. requested the SP to inform the DOE of the lifting of the moratorium of the mining ban prior to October 13, 2024, thereby reinstating the total mining van on the province.
“Such notice will prompt the issuance of the Notice of Termination of SSCMP to Mr. Almario,” he said.
Vice Gov. Cua promptly complied and sent a copy of the published ordinance repealing the provincial ordinance that temporarily suspended the implementation of the total mining ban measure.
A day after receiving the SP communication, the DOE sent the notice of termination to Almario, informing him of the automatic expiration of the SSCMP due to the resumption of the mining ban in the province of Catanduanes.
“Accordingly, you are directed to properly abandon the permit area and restore all sites that may have been affected by any coal operations which you may have had in the area and inform the Office of your full compliance with this directive within thirty (30) days from receipt of this letter,” Dir. Jariel stressed.
There is no report on whether the permittee actually started tunneling and mining operations at the site, unlike what happened at the height of the controversy on the extraction of coal at a mountainside in Panganiban where sacks of the coal were allegedly taken out at night.
According to a source, small amounts of coal were being delivered to local blacksmiths who use the mineral as fuel for their forges in making bolos.
Who was or is exactly delivering the sacks of coal to the bolo makers was not disclosed.
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THE MUMMY. An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy, a rather rare occurrence in Israel, to say the least. After examining it, he called Abe, the curator of the Israel museum in Jerusalem.
“I’ve just discovered a 3,000-year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!” the excited scientist exclaimed.
Abe replied, “Bring him in. We’ll check it out.”
A week later, the amazed Abe called the archaeologist. “You were right about both the mummy’s age and cause of death. How in the world did you know?”
“Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, ‘10,000 Shekels on Goliath’.”