(JUN. 28)—UP Diliman (UPD) formally granted the Benguet Federation of Small Scale Miners, Inc. (BFSSMI); Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte; Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; and Nabunturan, Compostela Valley a royalty-free and non-commercial license of an environment-friendly technology developed by the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering of the College of Engineering.
The technology called “Community-Led Integrated Non-Cyanide, Non-Mercury Gold Extraction Method (CLINN-GEM)” uses environment-friendly and non-hazardous methods of gold and/or copper extraction. It was developed under the UPD—DOST program “Field Testing of the Integrated Gold Copper Mineral Processing Plant in the Regions.” The program is designed to help small-scale mining communities through introduction of technologically innovative and environment-friendly mineral processing and extractive methods. It also gives primacy in the active participation of the small-scale mining communities and partners in the whole process of the project—from planning, implementation to monitoring and evaluation.
According to Dr. Herman D. Mendoza, CLINN-GEM Project Leader, the technology uses a framework that puts premium to the small-scale mining community. “This is empowering the communities through the technology. We are removing the risk of using hazardous chemicals. Our technology can finish the process or will have a yield after 24 to 32 hours, which also results in the increase of gold recovery (85-90 percent recovery), while the traditional method can have a yield after five days.”
UPD Vice Chancellor for Research and Development Fidel R. Nemenzo, in his welcome remarks said, “This is a very important event for UP because technology transfer is one of the key activities of UP as a research and a public university. CLIN-GEM is a technology we are proud of as it is dedicated to communities or LGUs, which are sustainable or environmentally safe technology.”
Granted through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) during the license grant ceremonies on June 11, the recipients/licensees responsibilities include “supervise the use of and operation of the facility; ensure the sustainability and the operations and management of the facility; create and implement a monitoring and evaluation team and mechanism; coordinate with small-scale miners and small-scale mining organizations within their areas; and educate the small-scale miners who are interested in learning the technology.” The license grant is valid for a limited time and is renewable.
UPD, on the other hand, will “provide the licensees/recipients standard operation procedures and other manuals and train them on all processes necessary for the operation and maintenance of the Facility; evaluate recommended procedural or technical revisions in the Facility; provide technical support and consultation in the monitoring of the Facility; provide licensees/recipients with continued access to improvements.”
The technology-transfer models for the four sites are as follows: in Itogon, Benguet CLINN-GEM is licensed to BFSSMI; in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley the technology is licensed to the Province of Compostela Valley; in Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte the technology is licensed to the Municipality of Jose Panganiban; and for the Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, CLINN GEM is licensed to DOST Caraga.
The processing plants/facilities in the four sites are already operational. —Bino C. Gamba, photos by Jefferson Villacruz