To mine or not to mine

Did you know that our country is endowed with vast and rich metallic and non-metallic mineral resources such as gold, silver, copper, nickel, coal, limestone, bentonite, silica, etc. ?

Did you know that when these natural resources are properly and expeditiously explored, developed and transformed by the mining industry into productive and profitable states, they help power, propel, and accelerate the national progress and stability of our country and consequently enhance the quality of life of our people?

Did you know that the mining industry is a cornerstone and major integral part and backbone of progressive and rich nations of the world in attaining a better quality of life for their people — which they are enjoying now?

In short, did you know that minerals play a vital and invaluable role in our everyday lives?  

In this connection, the time has come to defend the mining industry against venomous criticisms and accusations by financially well-oiled propaganda machines that urge the stoppage of mining operations in the country because, they allege, mining is the number one destroyer of our environment, and it does not help the country at all. 

The idea of stopping mining operations in the country is unthinkable. Can you imagine the adverse effects to our country and people if and when we stop mining? Did you know the beneficial effect to employment generation and inward investment development that the mining industry provides the country? Hence this “blame game syndrome” and “pointing fingers” against mining or the mining industry must stop.  

Can you imagine if President Aquino agrees and accept the concerted efforts and propaganda to stop mining? That would be a disaster to the future of our country, and could be an unfortunate decision in attaining economic prosperity and stability for the country.

We’ve heard environmentalists and indigenous groups viciously attack present mining operations and explorations of mineral resources in the country. They cite the destruction of the environment, physical hazards and livelihood sources experienced by residents in mining sites. The Marcopper Mining disaster of the 1990s caused by the overflow of mining tailings is always brought up as an argument against mining operations.

Government and private mining guidelines to preserve lives and the environment are unheeded and not believed by anti-mining forces who condemn mining activities as diabolical per se. It behooves proponents of mining to launch a massive educational campaigns to promote a positive image of mining.

We have listened to anti-mining proponents, and just lately, mining advocates and practitioners, in the persons of Art Disini, chairman, and Philip Romualdez, president, of the Chamber of Mining Industries, and Jerry Brimo, president and CEO of a company called Nikel Asia Corp.

Brimo told media persons at Bulong Pulungan that “anti-mining elements do not distinguish between formal large-scale mining and small scale mining. Small-scale mining, which is illegal, is largely unregulated, and mercury is still being used by small-scale miners to recover gold and they do not know that mercury is extremely harmful (to their health) as it is to the environment.”

Nor do anti-mining elements distinguish between the pre-1995 Mining Act and the post-1995 Mining Act. “When they bring up examples of past operations that have closed down, where little or no rehabilitation has taken place, that is a pre-1995 Mining Act phenomenon. The mining laws in the Philippines, and indeed all over the world, have changed considerably, because we are now all environmentally conscious — because the world today is much more heavily populated than years ago — and because we are now as well aware of the issue of finite resources and climate change, and that is why the principles of sustainable development have been formulated.”

Romualdez and Disini told an informal forum that it is the small-scale miners, who are given permits by local government executives, who inflict damage on the environment. Small-scale mining applications come by the thousands, but only a handful are approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. During the last 20 years, only 339 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) have been approved, but only 24 percent are in commercial production.

We did not know that investors (foreign and local) spend billions just to go into the initial exploration of potential mineral-rich areas. The huge investments, going up to the billions of pesos, many times end up lost when the explorations yield nothing. The investments are in the billions for operations, including building of factories.

Romualdez said the Philippines has the fifth most extensive mineral deposits in the world. It has gold, silver, copper, nickel, chromite, and other metallic minerals. It is also endowed with non-metallic industrial minerals, such a marble, limestone, clays, feldspar, rock aggregates, dolomite, bentonite, guano and other quarry resources. “The mining industry can therefore be a major contributor to the national economy,” said Romualdez.

Romualdez added, “As long as mineral resources development is undertaken under a regime of good governance, responsible mining practices and equitable sharing of the economic benefits to the affected communities, our country’s rich minerals potential will go a long way in supporting national development and poverty alleviation goals.”

 The contributions of the mining industry come in the form of taxes to the government, livelihood generation, and investments in infrastructure, housing for employees and social projects for the communities.

As to why the church seems to be allied with anti-mining protestors, Disini showed documents revealing that the RC archbishop of Manila, the Religious of the Virgin Mary-B, the RC archbishop of Zamboanga and the Religious of the Virgin Mary-A belong to the Top 100 stockholders of Philex Mining per the Philex Mining Corporation report of March 3, 2011. So the priestly protestors are few.

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A former columnist in the Philippine STAR, Felipe Cruz III, emerged at the top of his class with a Master of Science in Publishing at New York University and received the Award for Excellence in Magazine Publishing with a cumulative grade of 3.95 out of 4, bringing honor to himself and the Philippines. Former US President Bill Clinton was guest speaker at the 2011 New York University commencement attended by Felipe’s mother, Congresswoman Gina de Venecia at the Yankee Stadium, Felipe Cruz II, and Philip’s aunt New York fashion designer Josie Cruz Natori. Earlier, “Philip” attended the Stanford University “Professional Publishing Course” for magazine executives in Palo Alto, California.

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