To help ensure the safe and beneficial rehabilitation of the mining area on Rapu-rapu Island, Albay Governor-elect Noel Rosal said that his administration will focus on and monitor the accomplishments in the rehabilitation of mining site.

Rosal said in an interview on Wednesday that he will coordinate with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) about the progress of the rehabilitation being headed by Rapu Rapu Mining Company.

“We only want to know the progress of rehabilitation but the provincial government has no jurisdiction in the rehab implementation because it is under the jurisdiction of MGB,” Rosal added.

An earlier report indicated that mining site rehabilitation has been slowing for years since the mining company stopped its operation in 2013.

MGB Director for Bicol Guillermo Monlina IV said that the mining company has reached 84 percent of its rehabilitation efforts including planting of pine trees, cogon grass, and other endemic plants, as well as road construction in the urban areas connected to the mining site.

“We will give the mining company at least five years to finish the rehabilitation work in order for the government to plan what is the best thing to do for the place to be more beneficial to the people,” Molina said.

Molina added that the mining firm has deposited P309 million  in the government depository bank for the improvement and protection of the site.

DENR has agreed to the plan to convert the mining site into eco-tourism and agro-tourism areas, Molina said.

The rehabilitation in Rapu-rapu includes the villages of Pagcolbong, Malobago, and Binosawan.

The Lafayette mining firm started operations in the area in 2005 but its activities  were later stopped due to alleged environmental law violations.

The Rapu-Rapu Mining Company took over the operations and the DENR gave it 10 years to rehabilitate the site.