Published
By Madelaine B. Miraflor
In a bid to wipe out
the negative perception on the controversial mining industry, the Philippine
government has embarked on a nearly impossible project — to convince a nation
that is highly skeptical of the extractive industries that there is such thing
as responsible mining.
On Friday, the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) launched a nationwide information campaign on
responsible mining.
Such move, according to
Environment Undersecretary for Mining Concerns Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, could
eventually pave the way for the lifting of the ban on new mining projects.
“It will have
contributory effects,” Teh said, referring to the efforts of the government to
push for the lifting of Executive Order (EO) 79, which says that no new mineral
agreements should be approved “until a legislation rationalizing existing
revenue sharing schemes and mechanisms shall have taken effect.”
Right now, the country’s
mining industry contributes only 0.85 percent, or ₱134.5 billion, to the
country’s total gross domestic product (GDP). This is despite the fact the
country’s mineral resources has an estimated value of around US$1.4 trillion.
During the launch of the
campaign on responsible mining, Teh admitted that right now, it is still close
to impossible for the government and mining companies to tame the negative
public perception on mining.
“No matter how much we
show that we cannot live without mines, the government is still far from
changing or at least neutralized the negative perception for the mining
industry,” Teh said.
“The government is also
being accused of weak monitoring of mining companies and that our enforcement
of environmental laws is weak. We are also seen as corrupt and being attacked
and accused of covering up for the failure of mining companies,” she added.
The challenge now, she
said, is to turnaround this negative perception by “effectively communicating”
the sustainable practices and outcome in the mining industry.
Dubbed the
#MineResponsibility campaign, the campaign was led by Teh and DENR Secretary
Roy A. Cimatu. It seeks to recreate a clearer and more factual image of the
mining industry in the Philippines.
“We now have better and
stronger policies in place to protect the environment and local communities and
to mine with a long-term positive effect. We should not be wasting the massive
mineral wealth of the Philippines when it can be used to benefit the people,”
Cimatu said in a statement.
“Moving forward, our
goal is to harness this mineral wealth for progress and development and the key
to that is responsible mining,” he added.
Meanwhile, MGB Director
Atty. Wilfredo G. Moncano emphasized that the information campaign aims to
promote an inclusive approach in ensuring the mining industry’s commitment to
the protection of people and the environment.
“It is important that
the public is informed and involved in the enforcement of mining policies and
environmental protection, and that’s what this campaign is really about,” said
Moncano. “Especially now that mining requirements are more strict now than
twenty years ago.”
“We take the issues of
mining seriously,” added said Teh. “The campaign also goes beyond just information
and education. We’ve been working on improving the mining industry since the
start of the Duterte administration.”
Moncano said last month
that that to get rid of illegal mining activities in the Philippines — one of
the highly mineralized countries in the world — a separate government agency
with more resources and more manpower is needed.
“We are now pushing for
a [mining] task force to be made into a separate bureau. In this way, it will
have more resources, more manpower, and more leverage to work with other law
enforcement bodies,” Moncano said.
He is particularly
referring to the National Task Force Mining Challenge (NTFMC), which was formed
in 2018 to squash illegal mining operators. NTFMC’s first gig took place a
month after it was formed when it was able to shut down a Baguio City mine near
the Philippine Military Academy grounds.
“Through NTFMC, we
aggressively apprehend illegal mining operators, as well as seize, confiscate,
and dismantle their equipment, including blasting tunnel entrances or portals
to the mining sites,” Moncano said.
The NTFMC was later
re-established as the Environmental Enforcement Task Force, expanding its
management of environmental protection laws beyond mining and now including the
violation of logging laws, wildlife protection and agricultural policies.
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