THE Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) of the Philippines said the government’s decision to rescind the ban on open-pit mining has been “a long time coming” and will encourage more investment.
The JFC said in a statement that it “welcomed the terms and conditions set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for open-pit mining operations to ensure these will be environmentally and socially sustainable.”
“It’s been a long time coming and overdue. Metallic mining can be a major boost to the economy, particularly in rural areas in terms of employment and income,” Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines President Julian H. Payne said in a phone interview.
“It’s one of the areas that you can get a significant increase in gross domestic product (GDP) over the long term. It’s not a quick fix, but in the long run, it has huge potential,” he added.
The DENR lifted the four-year ban on open mining, which superseded an order issued by the late Secretary Regina L. Lopez in 2017.
Open-pit mining allegedly results in negative impacts on the environment, such as erosion and the leak of chemicals such as cyanide into surrounding water systems.
“Everybody recognizes that there can be a deleterious impact if it is not conducted and operated in a socially and environmentally responsible way, which in many countries it is, notably in Canada and Australia,” Mr. Payne said. “Mining is not necessarily a disadvantage to the environment; in fact, in some cases it actually improves it.”
