Ethnic tribes in Region 12 on Thursday pledged support for the newly organized Soccsksargen Responsible Miners Association, for them a partner in ensuring an environment-friendly exploration of minerals and fossil fuels in their ancestral domains.Soccsksargen is an acronym for South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saragani provinces in Administrative Region 12.Edmund S. Ugal, a T’boli tribal leader, told reporters on Thursday that they are looking forward to an extensive cooperation between their tribe and the SRMA in monitoring coal mining in their ancestral lands in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato that started only last year, and, most likely, in nearby towns soon.”We will support the SMRA,” Ugal said.Radio reports in Korondal City and in nearby cities in Region 12 on stated that the SRMA’s newly-elected officials, Joselito E. Kakilala, a senior official of the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, president, Joel Q. Bernales of Kiamba Mining Corporation, vice president, Elna S. Betalac of the C.A Betalac Construction and General Merchandise Incorporated, secretary, Josephine J. Balonga of South Cotabato Small Scale Miners Federation, treasurer, and the Axel G. Tumulak of the Carmen Copper Corporation, auditor, read their oaths of office early this week before Engineer Efren B. Carido, regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau 12 based in this city. Teduray and Dulangan Manobo tribal leaders in Sultan Kudarat province had also expressed recognition and support for the SRMA in separate statements aired by radio stations on Thursday morning.Blaan chieftain Domingo N. Collado, Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representative to the municipal council of Tampakan town in South Cotabato, said their tribe will help officials of the SRMA push their responsible mining programs forward. “The setting up of this SMRA is so timely because we are now looking forward to the start, possibly next year, of the Tampakan-Copper Gold Project in Blaan ancestral lands in Tampakan municipality,” Collado said.Malacanang and the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had permitted the extraction of estimated US$ 200 billion worth of copper and gold in Blaan domains in Tampakan with the concurrence of the local tribal councils and the National Commission on Indigenous People. (May 17, 2024)