Are we being governed?

I was at lunch with friends who were concerned with what is happening in the Philippines. He is a scientist and his wife is in food production. They are into campaigns or advocacies in one form or another. Among the many topics we talked about, the man who doesn’t want to be named said that we ought to have a land use survey, one of those made through remote sensing so that we know how to make the best use of every square inch of land in the country whether for agriculture or for mining. Our population is growing and needs an over-all program of development.

That was a suggestion that goes back to Marcos when he tried to assemble Filipino scientists to help in development. He remembers there was even a suggestion to designate a wildlife corridor and collect indigenous plants for a botanical garden and be aware of our indigenous plants.

How much would a remote sensing survey on the use of the land cost? About P10 billion but it will be worth every peso that goes into it because we will be helped by the information in developing our natural resources, he said. We have the money but we do not have the will or the vision.

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Before anyone launches another campaign to ban mining because of the deaths in Compostela Valley, we should emphasize that the dangerous landslides were the effects of wanton small mining. It is a free for all mining area of small miners as fortune hunters, most of them poor people who think it is all a matter of using a shovel to dig gold nuggets.

Yet Compostela Valley is a rich mineral source that properly mined could provide livelihoods and safety if government and big mining companies were to enter into a partnership for proper responsible mining. Instead we have small irresponsible miners scrambling an digging without any supervision. Most of the victims had their houses right in the middle of the tunnels they dig. There is no order, no system, no safety measures in place. Do you wonder that the landslide was inevitable and that it would surely happen again if nothing will be done about the mayhem.

It is not mining as such that is bad but the lack of good governance to ensure that it is done responsibly. Unfortunately that requires a lot of money and expertise that only big international mining companies can provide. Good governance is at the heart of the problem.

Despite all the warnings that this was an environmental nightmare waiting to happen, still the authorities failed to act. This has been long known by both national and local officials. The people who live around the area think of mining as a way out of poverty.

A probe will not be enough to tackle the problem. An over-all plan so the poor people living around the mining areas can benefit from the mineral resources of the region is needed. We need a long term and comprehensive program for the poor communities who live in Compostela Valley.

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This column received word from Philippine Mine Safety and Environment (PMSEA) president Louie Sarmiento that they conducted rescue and retrieval operations of victims even if there were no PMSEA member companies operating in the area.

As soon as Sarmiento received a call early from MGB Director Leo Jasareno informing him of the catastrophe that struck Pantukan, Compostela Valley they put together rescue teams. They had just returned from rescue operations in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan where the group was in relief operations for the victims of storm Sendong.

Other mining companies tapped were Apex Mining Co., Inc. and Philex mining Co.

Sarmiento, at the same time, renewed PMSEA’s call for a review to refine the laws pertaining to small-scale mining to eliminate illegal activities under strict regulation and guidance.

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Campaigners and scientists already warned of the disaster that would hit the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan back in 2009. They simulated the effects of a tropical storm on the island, and predicted that the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan would be hit by flash floods.

But the warning was dismissed as alarmist.

The exercise was part of the UN strategy for disaster reduction. Some 168 nations including the Philippines signed for the project.

Having identified the natural hazard that awaited the two cities they presented this to the Philippine government for a disaster management plan.

But as we all know nothing was done. So the two coastal cities were without protection or preparedness. The UN report said “many such can be identified and much of the damage they do could be pre-empted.”

“The problem, confronted every day by the scientists, medics and economists who have to pick up the pieces, is persuading governments and communities to begin systematic preparation for the next time around. Authorities know what to do in the face of climate change, the question is whether they will do it,” added the group.

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For example, is the Philippine government taking advantage of the training offered by countries like Australia to developing nations? It has just opened a new international mining centre based at the University of Western Australia.

The $31 million International Mining for Development Centre is funded by the Federal Government through AusAID. It will provide practical advisory, education and training services to developing nations, most notably African, across mining-related issues.

It is the centerpiece of the Government’s Mining for Development Initiative to help developing countries use their natural resources to improve their economies in a sustainable manner.

We could send some of our Filipino miners to the center and learn how responsible mining is done. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said “Australia is an expert in developing mineral commodities using environmentally responsible practices.”

“It is Australia’s way of helping resource-rich developing countries like the Philippines to make the best use of opportunities from mining to create much-needed education and job opportunities for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. It is often asked if mining had any use for the development of a country.

“Well governed mining, gas and petroleum sectors can not only help reduce poverty, but also reduce a developing country’s dependency on aid,” the Australian prime minister added.

The International Mining for Development Centre will be based at UWA’s Energy and Mineral Institute and will operate in partnership with the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.