Misamis Oriental Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PLENRO) Head Geran John Flores confirmed that temporary mining permits issued by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board are providing legal operational frameworks for indigenous communities in Opol and Manticao.
Flores explained that the permits assist the Dulangan Higaonon Ancestral Domain Association in Barangay Awang, Opol, and Datu Rommel Mansilao’s group in Manticao by training residents in compliant extraction methods.
He clarified that operations target chromite—a mineral used in steel production—and are restricted to 20-hectare limits prohibiting open-pit mining and heavy machinery.
