EDITORIAL - Cautionary voices

Various sectors continue to react to the call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to repeal the Mining Act and stop all mining activities. The call, which is part of a pastoral statement covering a wide range of national issues, has been met with cheers mostly by environmental groups, and concern by investors. Yesterday the country’s largest labor group, the moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, added its voice to the debate, warning about the repercussions of repealing the law.

Policy-makers should avoid knee-jerk reactions to the bishops’ call. While the CBCP’s concern for the environment and national patrimony are laudable, policy-makers cannot ignore cautionary voices. Since the passage of the Mining Act, the mining industry has been one of the bright spots on the investment front. The TUCP noted that millions of workers and their families are dependent on the industry, either directly or through downstream enterprises.

Investors have also warned that a repeal, so soon after the passage of the law, will send the wrong signals to the international business community. Mining firms, encouraged by the passage of the law, have embarked on expansion programs while new players have started coming in. The country is still trying to live down an image of unpredictability in economic policies, which has been a major disincentive to foreign investors. Repealing the Mining Act at this time can only reinforce that image.

The mining industry, for its part, should take note of the bishops’ concern and the support they have received from several sectors. The threat posed by the industry to the environment is real, and damage can be irreversible. Marinduque has yet to recover from the accident in March 1996 that dumped three million tons of toxic mine tailings from the Marcopper Mining Co. waste pit into the Boac River. A year later, Marcopper’s Canadian partner Placer Dome divested itself of its holdings in the local company and left the Philippines.

Around the world mining operations are under fire from environmentalists. Players in the mining industry argue that apart from generating jobs in developing countries, the world cannot do without the products of mining. The needs of the industry, environmentalists and the world need not be irreconcilable. It is possible to make mining operations gentler on the environment, and for mining firms to develop social responsibility.

There will always be a price to pay for extracting finite natural resources. Amid the bishops’ call, concerned sectors must discuss how much the country is willing to pay for mining operations.