MANILA, Philippines - Despite the noise coming from hardcore environmentalists who oppose mining but propose no alternative to offset the economic losses should mining be stopped, former congressman Ace Barbers is making even more noise in support of mining.
“The house you live in was made from cement, steel and marble tiles that came from mining. The utensils and kitchen gadgets and almost anything you use in daily life were all made possible by mining. It’s all about mining,” Barbers said.
This full-term congressman from Surigao del Norte, a mining and tourism paradise, and one-time governor said mining should, in fact, be pushed and developed just like in Canada, Australia, the United States and some European countries.
He said the Philippines has a mineral reserve that would amount to $500 billion, more than enough to wipe out its foreign debts of $100 billion.
He said the mining industry is a long- and medium-term industry since “you cannot finish a mine in one or two years and then close it down. It has a life that could last two or more decades.”
“If it is true our reserves are this much and that we will be able to harvest, harness and collect this, it would generate enough revenues for us to pay our debts and develop our country, create jobs here so that our countrymen need not work abroad as overseas Filipino workers,” he said.
Based on records of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, he said it would take 17 years to mine a mineral reserve of 2,000 hectares.
“You see how much revenue, labor it can generate and taxes and public funds to support the development and services of this government,” he said.