Miners group Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) countered Duterte’s decision to keep the open-pit mining suspension with talks of “responsible mining” underway involving the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB).
COMP executive director and spokesman Ronald Recidoro told reporters on the sidelines during an industry conference last week that open-pit mining can be achieved “responsibly and rehabilitated properly” thus it should still be allowed.
“We will work closely with the DENR and MGB to implement mining regulations strictly in all areas of the country, and show that open-pit mines can be operated safely and efficiently,” Recidoro said.
The Philippines is known to be where most ore deposits are near the surface and low grade, and it can only be extracted through open-pit mining.
Recidoro added that after open-pit operations, mining sites can be rehabilitated and transformed into economic land use such as agricultural opportunities.
Following MGB’s appeal to lift the ban, President Duterte reiterated earlier this month his support to the open-pit operations ban on the ground that the extraction process was a “dangerous environmental activity”.
The suspension was implemented by then-DENR Chief Gina Lopez during her 10-month service, contending that open-pit operations destroy opportunities in places where economic productivity can be done.
Earlier, Lopez held a press conference for the President to keep the ban as a reaction to MGB’s “horrendous beyond words” proposal convincing the government to do otherwise.
