THE OPERATING arm of Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. has appealed to the local government of Surigao del Norte and the municipal mayor of Claver to issue an exemption from the temporary suspension of mining activities amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a disclosure yesterday, Platinum Group Metals Corp. (PGMC) submitted an appeal to exempt the loading of ores to foreign vessels that are already on-site.
On March 28, the Surigao del Norte local government issued an executive order that temporarily suspended mining operations in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus. Earlier on March 26, the COVID-19 Regional Task Force in CARAGA issued harmonized guidelines for regional community quarantine. The guidelines allowed the entry of vessels tasked to load ore, as long as all quarantine protocols are followed.
FNI President Dante R. Bravo said he was hoping that PGMC could continue operating as it falls under the category of businesses exempt from the closure.
“We are hoping that those in the export sector like us will be allowed to continue operations to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on the national economy,” he said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
