Job opportunities in the mining and quarrying sector slightly experienced growth in 2018 totaling to 206,000 but still remain lower than the recorded numbers in 2015, a report from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) revealed.
According to Dominique R. Tutay, director of DOLE’s Bureau of Labor and Employment (BLE), a total of 235,000 were employed in the mining and quarrying sector in 2015.
Mining and quarrying jobs started to drop in 2016 which only had 219,000 then in 2017 with 203,000.
Employment in the sector used to have an annual increase of 50,000 a year on a net basis, said Tutay. Proposals for higher mining taxes alongside the ongoing ban on open-pit mining weighs down the industry.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) Vice President for Communications Rocky G. Dimaculangan noted the continuation of the Executive Order (EO) 79 and the ban on open pit mining under Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2018-19 despite the doubling of mining excise tax from 2% to 4% of gross output which is the legislated mining tax regime the moratorium requires in order to be lifted.
CoMP calls for the national government to address key issues of the industry in order to increase the sector’s job opportunities.
