RP bats for mining pact among Asean countries

The Philippines is trying to spearhead a cooperation pact with its ASEAN neighbors on mineral trading and marketing, and in particular, dealing with mineral smuggling.

Environment Secretary Jose L. Atienza is set to meet with his ASEAN counterparts next month to discuss the strengthening of trading and marketing of minerals in Southeast Asia.

The ASEAN mining ministers conference to be hosted by the Philippines will also include the mining ministers of China, Japan and Korea.

According to Mines and Geosciences Bureau director Horace Ramos, almost all of the invited ASEAN official have confirmed their attendance to the Oct. 16 meeting.

The conference, Ramos said, would also be co-sponsored by the Chamber of Mines.

The agenda of the conference, Ramos said, is not yet final.

However, it is expected that some of the topics to be discussed would be “to strength trading and marketing of minerals in Southeast Asia.”

According to Ramos, “it’s for regional unity.”

Ramos also said the ministerial meeting would also be an opportunity to “exchange information and to address for one, mineral smuggling.”

Ramos acknowledged that “there is smuggling” that is why the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is finalizing a proposed EO that would centralize the issuance of mineral export permits with the DENR head office.

The continuing discrepancies in mineral production numbers, alone, Ramos pointed out, is an indication of mineral smuggling.

He cited as a example differing mineral export numbers reported by China as against Philippine export numbers.