WHEREAS, Section 7 of Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2012- 07-A, the implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order No. 79, provides œthat no expansion of existing contract areas shall be allowed by the DENR Secretary unless there is an imminent and/or threatened economic disruption, such as a shortage of critical commodities and raw materials, that could adversely affect priority government projects and/or economic activities as determined by the Economic Development Cabinet Cluster .....;

WHEREAS, a number of operating mines in the country requires the expansion of their existing contract areas in order to sustain their operations but faces possible closure because the Economic Development Cabinet Cluster, as reported to the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), can not issue the certification that there is an imminent and/or threatened economic disruption because it is not applicable;

WHEREAS, during its 17^th Meeting on May 30, 2014, the MICC, recognizing the implication of mine closure to the economy, reached the agreement to amend Section 7 of DAO No. 2012-07-A by allowing said operating mines to expand their contract areas subject to certain conditions;

WHEREFORE, the foregoing premises considered, Section 7 of Department Administrative Order No. 2012-07-A is hereby amended to allow the expansion of contract areas of operating mines with available mineral resources/reserves, subject to validation by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council thru its Technical Working Group on Environmental Protection.

This Administrative Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation and after registration in the Office of the National Administrative Register.

SO ORDERED.

July 21, 2014, Quezon City, Philippines.

(SGD) RAMON J.P. PAJE
Secretary

Recommended by:

(SGD) LEO L. JASARENO
Director, Mines and Geosciences Bureau