Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday he believed the controversial ban on open pit mining imposed by former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez should remain in place given the environmental damage it causes, but noted he would give companies time to find alternative mining methods.
The current ban on open pit mining only affects projects, but its continuity threatens major planned mines.
Duterte, who has spent his first year in power pushing for stricter mining standards, said he had already asked current Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu “to look into the eventual closure of open-pit mining,” local ABS-CBN News reported.
The current ban only affects projects, not mines currently in operations. However, its continuity threatens major planned mines including Philex Mining’s $2bn Silangan copper-gold project in Surigao del Norte and Sagittarius Mines’s $5.9bn Tampakan gold-copper project in South Cotabato, which has the potential to become the Philippines’ biggest foreign investment.
The country is the world’s top nickel ore supplier but Duterte believes mining companies don’t pay enough taxes to compensate communities that suffer environmental damage. Under his direction, Lopez applied several measures aimed at decreasing the extraction of riches in the country to reduce environmental damage. But mounting pressure from pro-mining groups hurt by her actions forced the government to sack her in May.
Lopez successor, Cimatu, has so far showed no interest in reversing any of her measures.
3 Comments
Art Easian
Can anyone explain why a project that has a tiny footprint scares all politicians? All the mines in BC, for instance only cover 0.07% (7/10,000) of the province. The Oil Sands open pits, after 40 years of mining, at Fort McMurray cover 0.02% (2/10,000) of Alberta, Stillwater mine covers 321 acres. Wake up miners or they will stop you cold. Defend yourselves from NIMBY. Thousands of jobs depend on your self-defence.
FIFO68
Dafuq, no wonder the Philippines has such a high mining investment risk with these sort of dimwits in power..
Ummm perhaps legislate some environmental safeguards, dahhh…
Mike Failla
Only 1/!0th of 1 percent land in the U. s. has been disturbed by mining yet the public is told that mining ravages the earth and is a scourge. If you cant grow it…you have to mine it! The mining industry does not do a good job of informing about what they do, how they go about it and the result after reclamation. The mining industry is their own worst enemy. Thats just modern mining now. Do it better if you want to be successful. Be inclusive and you will be surprised by the excellent results.