PARACALE, Camarines Norte (PIA) — Aiming for a safer, cleaner, and more profitable gold industry, a processing plant worth P29 million was installed in this town.
This facility will benefit the artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) in the area.
The gold processing plant will use cyanide and amino acids instead of mercury, which is hazardous to health and the environment.
This step towards a safer and more sustainable approach to gold mining is a significant one, according to planetGOLD Project National Manager Abigail Ocate.
PlanetGOLD National Project Manager Abigail Ocate discussed their project and encouraged small-scale gold miners to access the formal market which is the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The Samahan ng Magkakabod sa Barangay Casalugan (SMBC) will receive the facility, which will be turned over next year by the planetGOLD Project, Ocate said.
The SMBC is part of the 26 declared “Minahang Bayan” in Paracale. The project is expected to be completed within five years.
As of October 2023, it has already reached 93% overall progress, and the tailing storage starter pond is 100% completed. In one trial, gold leaching efficiency reached 92.77% in 24 hours.
Other ASGMs in nearby communities are also encouraged to use the facility.
Paracale, together with Sagada, was chosen as one of the two pilot project sites in the Philippines for planetGOLD (Global Opportunities for the Long-Term Development of the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector), which is funded by the Global Environment Facility.
The project is in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
In line with this, a forum was held recently for the ASGM sector in Paracale to provide access to government incentives and support services for women, men, and youth stakeholders.
Around 200 small-scale gold miners attended the forum, where representatives from 21 government agencies provided their services.
The provincial government of Camarines Norte and the municipal government of Paracale partly organized the forum. (PIA 5/Camarines Norte).
