Mining companies in the Philippines must now set aside a dedicated rehabilitation fund from the very start of their operations—not just submit a plan—before they are granted a permit to begin digging, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said Saturday.
Cuna made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 15, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
He said every mining company is now required to submit both a Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan and a corresponding Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Fund as a condition for permit approval—with the fund already earmarked before a single shovel breaks ground.
“Hindi papayagan ho na tumuloy without that fund,” Cuna said, stressing that the requirement is non-negotiable under the Marcos administration’s policy direction for the mining sector.
Assistant Secretary Michael Cabalda of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said the requirement reflects the administration’s view of mining as a temporary land use—not a permanent one—with rehabilitation built into every phase of the mining life cycle from the very beginning.
“They need to destroy to develop. We call it differently, mayroon kang dapat post-land use na gagawin pagkatapos mo ng pagmimina. Kaya pinaplano po ‘yan at the very beginning. Dapat alam mo paano mong isasara bago ka magbubukas,” Cabalda said.
He said the progressive rehabilitation requirement—which mandates that mined-out areas be restored as operations move forward, rather than waiting until a mine closes—has been significantly strengthened under the Marcos administration, addressing a gap that was overlooked in earlier periods.
Cabalda said the Philippines has barely scratched the surface of its mineral potential, with only about 800,000 hectares or 2.65% of an estimated 9 million hectares of mineral-bearing land currently under operation—but said this potential can only be responsibly unlocked if rehabilitation obligations are met at every step.
