Church open to responsible mining, says Cebu priest

MANILA, Philippines - The Catholic Church is open to responsible mining, said the parish priest of Lutopan in Toledo City, Cebu, site of one of the biggest mines in the country.

“It is incumbent upon us to manage and develop our mineral resources for the present and future generations,” said Fr. Zandy Tapic.

Lutopan hosts a proposed open-pit copper mining project, which is still undergoing development.

“We priests also want to learn about mining; we are open to mining as long as it is done responsibly,” said Tapic.

Tapic said he recently went to Palawan and met with the bishop and some priests there to learn about mining issues.

When asked if his parish has concerns about the proposed open-pit operations in his community, Tapic said the issue should be on responsible mining.

“Open-pit mining is not the issue; the issue is managing these resources responsibly,” he said.

But Tapic also insisted that the host communities should be the priority beneficiaries of mining projects.

“So far we are feeling some benefits from the mining industry in our area; we were able to build our church with the help of the mining company we are hosting,” he said.

“The Holy Bible says we can manage our resources but we have to manage (them) responsibly,” Tapic said, adding that he is an environmentalist and hails from a family of farmers, so environmental protection is close to his heart.

“My personal opinion is that mining is here and it is upon us to manage the mineral resources and help people in the process,” he said.