Mining firms eager to work with next environment head

MANILA, Philippines — The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), whose members consist of large-scale metallic minerals development companies, welcomed the nomination of Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga as the next secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The COMP said it looks forward to working with her in fulfilling President Marcos’ thrust of striking a balance between economic development and environmental protection under his administration.

“We are prepared to work with Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga in her advocacies, particularly disaster risk reduction and response, sustainable development goals, and climate change protection,” COMP chairman Michael Toledo said in a statement.

“Our sector eagerly anticipates a meaningful engagement with Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga as well as the members of the government’s economic team led by Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno who has said that mining will be accelerated under the Marcos administration to help buttress the country’s post-pandemic recovery initiatives,” he said.

COMP said it would continue to foster and promote responsible minerals development in the country.

“Sec. Yulo-Loyzaga can count on our full support in weeding out illegal miners and curtailing irresponsible mining practices, which have tarnished the reputation of our industry for so long,” Toledo said.

In a separate statement, Philex Mining Corp. welcomed Yulo-Loyzaga’s nomination and vowed to continue to abide by government laws and the highest international standards.

Philex Mining, led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, is one of the oldest and largest copper and gold resource developers in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, Alyansa Tigil Mina said they are cautiously optimistic about the nomination of Yulo-Gonzaga as DENR secretary.

“With her experience as executive director of Manila Observatory in Ateneo de Manila University, we expect her to use and rely more on science-based analysis to decide on environmental policies and practices at the DENR,” ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera said.

“On the other hand, this is her first political appointment and she might face serious challenges in facing the vested corporate interests that want to influence DENR policies, especially on mining and EIA of projects,” he said.

If appointed, Yulo-Gonzaga’s choices of undersecretaries for senior management will bare the kind and direction of environment policies that she will prioritize, the anti-mining group said.

“It will be interesting to see how her science-based background will respond to the clamor of the economic team for more mining projects, that environment science says will increase our risks and vulnerabilities to climate impacts,” Garganera said.