THE Philippines, particularly the neighboring Caraga Region, has yet again landed in the discussion on environmental and human rights abuse in the international arena Saturday.

In the four-day conference held in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia -- which ended yesterday September 25 -- on Environmental Justice for Asian countries, has identified Caraga Region as Asia’s mining capital.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

In the conference, which started September 22, 2009, Asian countries shared experiences on environment and human rights particularly on mining extractive industries threatening the peace and the critical biodiversity of the communities.

With the present Philippine Mining Act or Republic Act 7942, Philippines appears as the friendliest country to foreign mining companies by giving tax holidays, a favorable free and prior informed consent (FPIC) guidelines and auxiliary benefits attached to the mining permits issued.

The country's largest freshwater wetland, the largest mangrove swamp, and the widest waterfalls lie within its boundaries. The deepest waters in the country - the deepest in the world and the surfing haven in the country. Its borders encompass the provinces of Agusan and Surigao in Mindanao Island, where the Philippine's largest gold and nickel ore deposits are found, the Caraga Region or region 13 is known for.

According to Carl Cesar Rebuta of Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) and Philippine Presenter for Environmental Justice Conference in Mongolia said in a phone interview yesterday that with the new statistical data on the mining tenements issued as of February this year by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) points to Caraga as the emerging mining capital in Asia.

“Caraga hosted 42 approved Mineral Production & Sharing Agreements (MPSA) covering 103,643.25 hectares or 55.29% of the entire mining permits approved in Mindanao. In the pipeline, 80 more MPSA’s pending for approval, 124 application for Exploration permits and 5 pending applications for Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAA),” explained Rebuta.

Pradip Saha of Center for Science and Environment based in India, the 2nd largest country in Asia in terms of geographical size, only 1/3 of China as the biggest in Asia. India hosted 80 approved mining permits covering 98,803 hectares a little closer to Caraga’s total land distributed for mining, Rebuta pointed out.

This emerging Asia’s mining capital host 2 of the poorest provinces in the country and majority of these permits are within the ancestral domains of the Manobo-Mamanwa tribes but only 5 Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claims/Titles were issued.

And worst, the biggest work force in the region are farmers and the indigenous people who are dependent on land and water for survival.