NEWS

By Bella Cariaso | The Manila Times | October 29, 2022

(PHILIPPINE MINING CLUB)

A RANKING official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday assured the revitalization of the mining industry as the agency has issued at least 35 explorations permits.

In his speech before the members of the Philippine Mining Club, Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said that one of the priority programs of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is to ensure a viable mining industry.

“The mining contribution in recent years has plummeted to less than one percent in the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), thus the resurgence of the Philippine mining industry is a long overdue. To ensure the stakeholders economic condition improves, we must increase mining production, production value, taxes, royalties, employment and leakages,” Leones told the members of the mining industry.

“The Philippines is blessed with both metallic and non-metallic minerals. Out of our land areas of 13 million hectares, around nine million hectares have high minerals potentials. Out of these, approximately 2.39 percent or 7,117,000 hectares are covered by mining contracts and permits, and out of these figures, about.27 percent our about 81,000 hectares are active mining areas,” he added.

Leones noted that several factors contributed on the mining industry decline.

“However, reforms are underway to revitalize the mining industry as pro-people and pro-environment vehicle for sustaining wealth creation and improving our people quality of life,” he said.

Leones said the department lifted the moratorium on the acceptance, processing and the approval of exploration permits.

He said that in December 2021, the ban on pit mining was lifted, allowing open pit mine to proceed.

“While we envision a robust mining industry, it will not be business as usual as it was… as few environmental mining disasters stigmatized the industry,” he stressed.

Leones said the Mining Industry Coordinating Council has conducting fact-finding science-based review of 45 large-scale surface metallic mining companies, assessing their performance in legal, social, environmental and economic aspects.

“Of the 45, we found out that four have excellent benchmarks, 24 needed mining reforms and 15 needed major reforms, and only two got a poor rate. Still ongoing is the review of 22 non-metallic mine nationwide and four large non-metallic mines at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao,” he said.

Leones said at least 45 mining mineral exploration companies are being subjected to audit annually to assess compliance with the terms and conditions of their contracts and their management of mines safety, health and social development.

“These environmental initiatives have restored confidence in the industry and its prospect. As [of] April 22, 2022, 717 mining covering 734 hectares have been approved. We have 1,377 applications under processing covering over 4.23 million hectares. These figures tell us the industry is poised for tremendous growth,” he said.

Leones said the DENR is also addressing illegal mining through the declaration of the Minahang Bayan areas, where small-scale mining will be allowed but regulated.

“We will undertake geological mapping to complete the geological survey and mapping of the entire country which should expand our geo-scientific mineral information database,” he noted.

Source: The Manila Times