Published September 9, 2018, 10:00
PM By
Madelaine B. Miraflor
Mining companies have committed P40
billion only in combined expenditures to comply with certain provisions on
sustainable development and environmental protection of their respective
operations under the Philippine Mining Act.
The amount may appear huge but
actually pales in comparison to the P54.57-billion total value of the country’s
metallic mineral production in the first half of the year alone.
A latest data from Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) showed that mining companies have so far committed to
spend P39.74 billion for their plans and programs related to sustainable
development and environmental protection/rehabilitation, which are imbedded in
the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 or Republic Act No. 7942.
Under the law, miners should allot
funds to Social Development and Management Program (SDMP), Environmental
Protection and Enhancement Programs (EPEP), and Final Mine Rehabilitation
and/or Decommissioning Plans (FMR/DP).
As of June 2018, the estimated
amount committed by mining companies for the development of their host and
neighboring communities through their approved SDMP was about P16.81 billion.
Around 790 barangays stand to
benefit from the implementation of approved community/social projects of
various companies.
The SDMP is a tool for the
development and implementation of community programs, projects and activities
for the host and neighboring communities of a mining project/area.
It is a five-year plan geared
towards the development of responsible, self-reliant and resource-based
communities capable of developing, implementing and managing development
programs, projects and activities.
This shall be funded through mining
companies’ annual allotment of a 1.5 percent of their operating cost which
shall be divided accordingly: 75 percent for the development of host and
neighboring community; 10 percent for the development of mining technology and
geosciences; 15 percent for the institutionalization of public awareness and
education on mining and geosciences.
Also for the same period, the amount
committed by mining companies for the implementation of approved
plans/programs/projects/activities for EPEP and FMR/DP were at P20.39 billion
and P2.55 billion, respectively.
EPEP provides the description of the
expected impacts of the mine and sets out the life-of-mine environmental
protection and enhancement strategies based on best practice in environmental
management in mining.
FMR/DP, on the other hand, is the
process of returning the mine sites and affected areas to viable and, whenever
practicable, self-sustaining ecosystems that are compatible with a healthy
environment and with human activities.
At present, the Philippines has
remained one of the world’s biggest nickel exporters, with bulk of its
production being shipped to China.
In total, the country’s untapped
mineral resources are projected to have a combined value of over $1 trillion.
Based on MGB’s estimates, the
country’s total estimated gold reserves in 2016 stood at 1.9 billion metric
tons (MT) with an average grade of 0.16 grams per ton, while silver has 1.7
billion MT with an average grade of 1.27 grams per ton.
Copper reserves, on the other hand,
were estimated to be around 1.8 billion MT, while iron and nickel has reserves
of 116 million MT and 116.14 million MT, respectively. Chromite’s reserves
stood around 47.3 million MT.
“To make them useful to the economy,
the rich mineral resources of the Philippines have to be explored and then
developed into commercial mines. Mining is both a capital-intensive and highly
technical business venture,” MGB earlier said.
However, President Rodrigo Duterte
repeatedly said before that he doesn’t care whether the country earns huge
revenues from the mining sector if this means preventing the further
degradation of the environment.
MGB, an attached agency to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), recently issued a set
of new mining policies such as creating a scorecard that will measure and
monitor the operation of mining companies as well as limiting the area where
miners can operate at any given time.
The DENR is also looking at increasing
the rehabilitation funds that are required of miners.
Under the Philippine Mining Act, a
Mine Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) shall be deposited as a trust fund in a
government depository bank and shall be used for physical and social
rehabilitation of areas and communities affected by mining activities and for
research on the social, technical and preventive aspects of rehabilitation.
For his part, Chamber of Mines of
the Philippines (COMP) Executive Director Ronald Recidoro earlier said that
they “understand the concern and the need to ensure that there are adequate
funds for environmental protection and rehabilitation of mined out areas”.
“If there’s really a need to spend
more for rehabilitation, we have no choice but to spend for it,” he said in an
earlier report.
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