Mindanao stakeholders 'agree to disagree' on mining in Davao forum

Manila, Philippines - In a forum organized by the Ateneo de Davao University last week, stakeholders in Mindanao found a way to “agree to disagree” on how important the mining industry is and on the mining policy issued by Malacañang recently.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) region 12 director Constancio Paye, Jr., Rodney Galicia of the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), and Ateneo de Davao university president Fr. Joel Tabora, S.J, all agreed that the mining industry “must ensure social justice for all impacted stakeholders” but differed on how to go about achieving it.

“The Mining Act of 1995 [Republic Act 7942] is one of the best mining laws in the world as it is designed to achieve social justice and equity for all stakeholders aside from ensuring environmental protection,” Paye said.

 According to Paye, “R.A. 7942 provides for the required environmental compliance certificate (ECC) an environmental protection and enhancement program, a mine rehabilitation and decommissioning plan and a free and prior informed consent declaration from affected indigenous tribes”.

 “In region 12, I rejected 51 out of 69 mine applications because they failed to get the FPIC from the tribes,” Paye said.

 Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), government contractor of the proposed Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, the only mining company represented in the Davao forum said that “the implementation of E.O. 79 will encourage sustainable minerals development effectively manage the social and environmental aspects of mining”.

 “Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) is not against mining; we are against mining as implemented in R.A. 7942”, Galicia said.

 In its position paper on E.O. 79, the ATM said they are “cautious and mildly optimistic about the order’s temporary remedies” but cited that the order is “some small steps in the right direction”.

 ATM also recognized some “eight value points” from E.O. 79 but it did cite that “some sections of the executive order are misleading with social and environmental safeguards watered down”.

 Father Tabora on the other hand said in a prepared statement that “the thrust is less on banning mining activities absolutely...but on a clear consensus on responsible mining...and on structures and competent personnel to enforce responsible mining”.

“Right now, the government is incapable of enforcing responsible mining in the country,” Tabora said.