Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. ALFONSO V. UMALI, JR. 
________________________________________________________________ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Island of Mindoro is unquestionably endowed with 
bountiful natural resources from which most of the people, 
especially the Mangyans, depend their lives and livelihood.  
For decades, Mindoreños have consistently raised their firm 
stance against mining. United, we have fought long and hard to 
protect them. In fact, the Provinces of Oriental and Occidental 
Mindoro, both sitting in the Island of Mindoro, have already 
instituted their respective protective measures against mining by 
declaring a twenty-five (25) year moratorium against mining. 
As the said measures are about to expire soon, this legislative 
measure will ensure that the Island of Mindoro’s resources and 
cultural heritage will be protected even beyond this generation. 
It is for the foregoing reasons that the undersigned earnestly 
seeks for the immediate passage of this bill. 
ALFONSO V. UMALI, JR. 
     Representative 
  Second District, Oriental Mindoro 
November 21, 2022
8:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. ________
________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by HON. ALFONSO V. UMALI, JR. 
________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT DECLARING THE ISLAND OF MINDORO AS A MINING-
FREE ZONE, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION 
THEREOF.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives 
of the Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Mindoro 
Island Mining-Free Zone Act.”  
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the 
policy of State to protect its natural resources and the right of the 
people to balance and healthful ecology.  
Likewise, it is the responsibility of the State to promote 
rational exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of 
the mineral resources of the country in a way the effectively 
safeguards the environment and protects the rights of affected 
communities. 
Therefore, the State shall adopt measures to conserve and 
protect the  rich resources of the whole Island of Mindoro from   the 
adverse effect of mining. 
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SECTION 3. Mining-Free Zone. - The Island of Mindoro 
comprising the Provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro is 
hereby declared a mining-free zone. All forms of mining activity, of 
whatever scale, within the Island of Mindoro are hereby prohibited. 
 
The provisions of Republic Act No. 7942, otherwise known as 
the “Mining Act of 1995,” Republic Act No. 7076, otherwise known 
as the “People’s Small-Scale Mining Act” and other laws, rules and 
regulations on mining inconsistent with this Act shall have no 
application within the territorial jurisdiction of the locality. 
 
SECTION 4. Coverage. - This Act covers all mining operations and 
activities, including quarrying, within the territorial jurisdiction of 
the Provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro.  
 
As used in this Act, “mining” shall refer to extraction of 
valuable materials or other geological materials from the earth, 
and shall include mining activities as exploration, conduct of 
geological feasibility studies and surveys, development, utilization 
and processing, as well as quarry operations involving cement raw 
materials, marble, granite, rocks, sand and gravel construction 
aggregates, and other similar activities related to excavating and 
quarrying minerals and ores. 
 
SECTION 5. Recognition of Existing Mining Contracts, 
Agreements, and Permits. - All valid and existing mining 
contracts, exploration permits, licenses, technical and financial 
agreements, and mineral production sharing agreements, in 
accordance with Republic Act No. 7942, otherwise known as the 
“Mining Act of 1995,” covering any area within the Island of 
Mindoro prior to the date of effectivity of this Act, shall be 
recognised by the Government and shall remain valid until 
expiration or termination thereof. Thereafter, no extension or 
renewal of the contract, permit, license, or exploration permit shall 
be granted. Moreover, the government shall not issue new 
exploration permits nor enter into new mineral agreements or 
similar other agreements covering lands within the jurisdiction of 
the Provinces of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro. 
 


 
 
SECTION 6. Prohibition Against Exploration Activities in 
Areas Covered by Mineral Agreements. - At the date of the 
effectivity of this Act, no exploration permit to conduct further 
exploration activities or an application for extension thereof shall 
be granted even during the lifetime of existing mineral contracts, 
technical and financial assistance agreements, and mineral 
production sharing agreements.  
 
SECTION 7. Dormant Exploration Permits and Mineral 
Agreements. - Exploration activities and mining operations under 
existing exploration permits, mineral agreements and other similar 
agreements shall be undertaken immediately by the permittee or 
contractor. In case of failure to initiate or undertake any 
exploration activity or mining operation within one (1) year from 
the effectivity of this Act, the exploration permit or mineral 
agreement shall be declared dormant by the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). 
 
Dormant permits and agreements shall ipso facto be 
cancelled upon declaration of dormancy.   
 
SECTION 8. Cancellation of Small-Scale Mining . All small-scale 
mining contracts as enunciated in Republic Act No. 7076, or the 
“People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991” are hereby cancelled 
upon effectivity of this Act. Affected small-scale mining contractors 
have one (1) year from the time of the effectivity of this Act rot 
undertake rehabilitation, regeneration, and reforestation of 
mineralized areas, slope stabilization of mind-out and tailing-
covered areas, watershed development, and water preservation.  
 
SECTION 9. Quarry Permits. - The issuance of Quarry Permits in 
the mining-free zone shall be under the direct supervision of the 
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). 
Existing quarry permits issued by the provincial government prior 
to this Act shall likewise be recognized. Thereafter, quarry permits 
issued by the Provincial Governor shall be reviewed and monitored 
by the DENR. 


 
 
 
The maximum area which a qualified person may hold at any 
one time within the territorial jurisdiction of the Provinces of 
Oriental and Occidental Mindoro shall be five (5) hectares. The 
DENR shall impose strict regulations in ensuring that no more 
than one quarry is granted to the same person, corporation, its 
affiliates, subsidiary or any entity that has essentially the same 
legal personality as the applicant of holder of an existing quarry 
permit in the Island of Mindoro. 
 
A quarry permit shall immediately be cancelled by the 
provincial governor for areas up to five (5) hectares, when, in the 
guise of quarrying activities, the holder of a quarry permit engages 
in activities that are properly authorised by exploration permits, 
mineral agreements, or mining contracts, upon investigation 
conducted by the DENR for the purpose. 
 
SECTION 10. Penal Provision. - Any person, natural or juridical, 
or any public officer, who violates the provisions of this Act, shall 
suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than six (6) years 
but not more than twelve (12) years, and a fine of not less than 
One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000.00) but not more than Ten 
Million Pesos (PhP10,000,000.00).  
 
In addition, a public officer who violates this Act shall also be 
dismissed from the service, and shall be perpetually disqualified 
from holding public office. 
 
If the offender is a juridical entity, the highest ranking official 
and the members of its board of directors or trustee who 
authorized the act constituting violations hereof, shall suffer the 
penalty imposed under this Act. 
 
SECTION 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within 
the period of three (3) months from the effectivity of this Act, the 
DENR shall promulgate the necessary Implementing Rules and 
Regulations to effectively implement the provisions of the law. 
 


 
 
SECTION 12. Separability Clause. – Should any provision herein 
be declared unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity 
of other provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules 
and regulations, or parts thereof, inconsistent with Act are hereby 
repealed or amended accordingly. 
 
SECTION 14. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect 
fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a 
newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,