DENR-led group draws up mining action plan

An inter-agency group led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has drawn up an action plan to serve the roadmap for the revitalization of the industry. It addresses the instabilities the industry is suffering brought about by conflicting/overlapping environmental laws, bottlenecks in the processing of mining applications, and insufficient support of the public/stakeholders. It provides for clear and predictable protocols on environmental and ecological concerns and pursues development downstream industries and small-scale mining.

Government expects mining investments to go as high as $4.36 billion, with annual potential revenues of $2.32 billion and employment generation of as much as 10,000 workers from hight-profit mining projects within the next 10 years according to the DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

This early, probable investments are forthcoming. The DENR has been invited by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines and Philippine-Australia Business Council to the "Philippine Mining Road Show" in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia on Aug. 10 and 11. — Benny Enriquez