While he believes that mining is a “valuable source of revenue for the government,” former senator and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. says that open-pit mining is something he’s wary about.
“When it comes to open-pit mining, I think I’m a bit wary about that because it is very difficult to control,” Marcos Jr. said in his interview with TV talk show host Boy Abunda, adding that the said mining activity causes pollution and contamination incidents even after the mine has closed.
“Kaya pag-aralan natin yan. Baka naman may iniisip silang bagong teknolohiya na pwede nating gamitin na sasabihin na safe ang open-pit mining,” Marcos Jr. said.
The son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. said the country should take advantage of the country’s huge natural resources, provided that there would be less impact on the environment.
“If we can take care, making sure that the environmental impact is in accordance with the law, then I think we can carefully exploit the natural resources to help the recovery of our economy,” Marcos Jr. said.
He also wants to explore battery technology minerals like nickel and lithium. Data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau shows that the estimated value of nickel and other nickel products in 2020 was at Php69 billion.
Screengrab from The Boy Abunda Talk Channel.
