Selling of dolomite stopped: Mining firm heeds governor’s order

CEBU, Philippines — The Alcoy, Cebu-based mining firm Dolomite Mining Corporation (DMC) will no longer sell dolomite ore to the Philippine Mining Service Corporation (PMSC), following the cease and desist order by the Cebu Provincial Government.

In his letter of undertaking to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Atty. Reymund Martelino, DMC's legal counsel, said that the company will heed the order to not sell dolomites to PMSC due to the latter's alleged violations of local ordinances.

“(W)e undertake to ensure compliance therewith immediately. Further, DMC reaffirms its commitment to faithfully adhering to all relevant laws, rules and regulations,” Martelino said in his March 11 letter posted by Sugbo News, the Capitol’s news portal.

Garcia revoked the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) between the Province of Cebu and DMC after the governor learned that DMC continued to supply dolomite to PMSC despite a previous order to halt because of PMSC's continued violations on tax and environmental laws.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)-7 data showed that PMSC was able to purchase 2.5 million metric tons of minerals from DMC even after Garcia's cease and desist order.

Under the MPSA, the DMC is allowed to extract dolomite in Alcoy until 2030.

DMC itself has failed to pay the Capitol its tax dues since 2008 but is now settling its obligations since April 2023 through installment basis.

It was in October 2020 when Garcia issued an executive order (EO) stopping PMSC’s operations in Brgy. Pugalo, Alcoy due to its failure to pay tax pursuant to Cebu Provincial Ordinance No. 2008-10, which requires all mining firms in Cebu to pay tax to the Capitol.

In February 2023, she issued another EO reinforcing the first directive for PMSC to cease and desist from continuing its processing, selling and transporting of minerals from Alcoy.

Sugbo News reported that PMSC opted to continue defying the order. — (FREEMAN)