Incumbent Manila Mayor and presidential candidate Isko Moreno is looking to expand the country’s mining industry following the lifting of the open-pit mining ban and the lifting of the moratorium on new mining agreements to generate employment and income to alleviate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a one-on-one interview with talk show host Boy Abunda uploaded on Thursday, Moreno said that instead of just selling, the country can also create factories that can process the responsibly-mined minerals.
“Dapat, pag nagbukas tayo ng mina, dapat may industriyang nake-create. ‘Di lang tayo magmimina tapos ibebenta na sa labas, it can create another industry to produce such material,” Moreno said.
“We need to generate more [foreign direct investments], more jobs, more [sources] of income. We cannot keep taxing our people para mapatakbo ang gobyerno,” he further stressed.
Moreno – a former Social Welfare undersecretary – emphasized he will allow sustainable mining should he win the presidency, as long as the global standards and regulations of mining will be followed.
“The rules and standards of this world can be applied in the mining industry that we’re going to open or continue – ‘yun ang importante. Kasi with that, magkakaroon ka ng sustainable mining, tapos mapapangalagaan mo ang kapaligiran at the same time,” he pointed out.
Under his administration, Moreno said that both foreign-partnered and local mining companies would have to adhere to the regulations of mining in the country. He stressed that the country has to be aggressive and practical in generating businesses due to the effect of the pandemic, but at the same time, “responsible for the next generation.”
“If there are existing laws, it is applicable to anyone, to any corporation, start-up, or large corporations. The rules are the same. So, those who violate, no matter how big they are, they have to be shut down,” he asserted.
The mayor of the country’s capital added that his administration would help mining firms that comply with the responsible mining principle to further prosper.
Screengrab from The Boy Abunda Talk Channel.
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