BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) dates back to the Spanish colonial times. It was known then as the Inspeccion General de Minas which took charge of the administration and disposition of minerals and mineral lands.

July 1, 1886 – The Inspeccion was abolished and merged with General Directorate of Civil Administration.

November 29,1898 – Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo signed a decree creating Departamento De Fomento (Department of Public Welfare). It has four (4) divisions and a Mine Section was formed under the Industry and Agriculture Division.

March 10, 1900 – The Americans reorganized the bureaucracy and the mining bureau emerged by virtue of General Order No. 31.

1905 – Merger of Mining Bureau and the Bureau of Government Laboratories and put under the Bureau of Science. The Mining Bureau became the Division of Geology and Mines.

January 25, 1933 – Memorandum Order No.5 merged the Mineral Land Administration Division  of Geology and Mines to form the Mineral Resources Division under the Department of Agriculture and Commerce.

September 19, 1934 – The Mineral Resources Division was renamed as Division of Mines and placed under the supervision of Bureau of Science.

November 7, 1936 – Commonwealth Act (CA) Nos. 136 (created the Bureau of Mines) and 137 (first major mining law) were enacted. CA 137 stayed for about 38 years until amended by Presidential Decree (PD) 463 (Mineral Resources Decree of 1974).

January 30, 1942 – Executive Order (EO) No.1 reconstituted the Bureau of Mines and was placed under the control of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. In 1944, the Bureau was reduced to a mere division under the same department.

February 27, 1945 – The Bureau was restored to its November 7, 1936 status.

1974 – PD 461 placed the Bureau of Mines under the control and supervision of Department of Natural Resources.

June 6, 1978 – PD No. 1281, as amended by PD No. 1654, revised CA 136 and renamed the Bureau of Mines to Bureau of Mines and Geosciences (BMG).

June 10, 1987 – (Reorganization Act) EO No. 192, BMG become one of the Staff Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) including the renaming to Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) minus the line functions of the abolished Mineral Resources Development Board and the Gold Mining Industry Development Board

March 3, 1995 – The passage of Republic Act (RA) 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and DAO No. 96-40 or the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 7942 transformed the MGB into a line Bureau (Foresight January – March 2001 issue)