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Sunday, January 19, 2003
GMA supports mining industry revitalization
By Cheryl G. Cruz and May Anne Cacdac
BAGUIO -- The revitalization of the dying mining industry is in the offing with the expected issuance of the national mineral policy in the first quarter this year.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Elisea Gozun Saturday said the planned revitalization of the mining industry has the full support of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as part of her administration's reform agenda "to contribute to poverty reduction and to foster sustainable development."
President Arroyo earlier announced government efforts to develop the Mount Diwalwal mining site in the southern Philippines, where as much as 18 billion dollars in gold may be tapped, Arroyo said.
The government's shift from "tolerance to active promotion" with regards to the mining industry was made after the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) reported that the mining and quarrying sector showed the biggest growth at 40 percent for the first quarter of 2002 compared to a negative 3.45 percent growth for the same period in 2001, she added.
Gozun was in town as guest of honor and speaker during the 42nd community fiesta of Philex Mining Corporation in Padcal, Tuba, Benguet, one of the two remaining mining companies operating in the Cordilleras. The other one is Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company in Mankayan, Benguet.
She also said that for the remaining 17 months of the Arroyo administration, the government hopes to generate about $242 million in mining investments from 12 mining projects that will annually yield about $147 million in potential revenues.
She said that while the remaining months is really not enough to revitalize the industry, still "it's a start" to make the industry more competitive to be able to sustain economic growth and development; for the mining industry to be able to contribute to poverty reduction by accumulating benefits for the local and indigenous communities; and to foster growth and development without sacrificing safe environment, health and social practices.
"(But) we all know that (in) transforming this mineral potential to wealth for the benefit of the government, the communities and the environment is the biggest challenge that we in the government, and you in the mining sector, must face," Gozun stressed.
"It is now up to the industry to respond and do its share - prove to everybody that mining can be pro-people and pro-environment in sustaining wealth creation and improved quality of life."
The first-ever lady environment secretary noted that in revitalizing the mineral industry, it is now the responsibility of mining companies to comply with various environmental rules and regulations to ensure that a mining community will not be transformed into a 'ghost town' once the operation is terminated.
There are also other existing obstacles such as pervasive anti-mining sentiments, restrictive access to land and conflicting government policies and management of idle, sequestered or abandoned mining assets.
Gozun said that the environment department, especially with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau at the forefront, is now identifying obstacles to the planned revitalization scheme and are looking into actions and strategies that could be implemented to address such issues.
Meanwhile, Chamber of Mines chair Gerard Brimo, who is also the chairman of the board and CEO of Philex Mines, welcomed such pronouncement and challenged posed by the government.
"We're delighted that finally, the industry that can do so much (for the improvement of the country's economy) has been recognized as such," he said, stressing that mining companies, particularly Philex, have actually been complying with international environmental rules and regulations the past years with regards to their respective operations.
Philex Padcal has recently been certified ISO 14001, the first to be issued to a mine firm operating in the country, Gozun noted.(Sun.Star Baguio) |
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