Multi-Stakeholders’ Dialogue Workshop on the Extractive Industry Governance in the Bangsamoro

The workshop aimed to present and validate the findings of the scoping study in the Bangsamoro with multi-stakeholders and representatives of regional and local governments, civil society, and the business community. The objectives of the workshop were three-fold: for participants to know and understand the resource potentials, vulnerabilities, and issues of stakeholders concerning the extractive industry governance in the Bangsamoro and ARMM; for multi-stakeholders to appreciate and act on the inclusion of the Bangsamoro and ARMM in the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI); and for them to come up with an action plan that would guide EITI implementation in the Bangsamoro and ARMM. The workshop was attended by 30 participants from Cotabato City and 30 participants from Zamboanga City, representing various sectors including government, business, and civil society. The participants included representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local government units, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. The resource persons, facilitator, and documenter for the workshop included Starjoan Villanueva from AFRIM, Chadwick Llanos from PH-EITI MSG, Beverly Besmanos from Bantay Kita, and Hazel Lozada from AFRIM. The support staff included Betty Carascal, Brenda Lee Drah, Rizalina Enriquez, Robet John Carascal, and Sheryl Recla from AFRIM. During the workshop, participants were asked to write down their expectations on idea cards. In Cotabato City, the participants' expectations included knowing the sites of legal and illegal mining in Maguindanao, benefiting from mining for the people, and discussing the disadvantages of mining. In Zamboanga City, the participants' expectations included coming up with relevant issues and concerns in promoting transparency in mining and other extractive industries in the ARMM. The workshop also included presentations from AFRIM, Bantay Kita, and PH-EITI. The participants' reactions to the presentations included comments and additional information that validated the scoping study findings. The workshop outputs included the endorsement of an interim MSG with members coming from government, business, and civil society that will lead EITI implementation in the ARMM/Bangsamoro, and a one-year action plan on EITI implementation in the ARMM/Bangsamoro. The action plan included the establishment of an interim MSG, the development of a work plan, and the implementation of EITI principles in the ARMM/Bangsamoro. The workshop also identified the need for enhanced transparency and participatory governance in the Bangsamoro's extractive sector through the EITI mechanism. The workshop was facilitated by Hazel Lozada from AFRIM, and the documenter was Daphne Padilla from AFRIM. The support staff included Betty Carascal, Brenda Lee Drah, Rizalina Enriquez, Robet John Carascal, and Sheryl Recla from AFRIM.