P-Noy urged to issue clear policy on open pit, small scale mining

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino must incorporate a categorical position on open pit and small-scale mining in the soon to be completed mining policy, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje said yesterday. “President Aquino must put an end to the open pit mining ban being imposed by local government at the policy level,” Paje said, adding that while the National Government must set an open pit mining policy, it does not prevent the Local Government from seeking legal remedy.

Paje said consultations are ongoing among concerned sectors on various policy proposals put forward by the DENR, including environmental security, increasing revenues and streamlining permit procedures.

The consultations, he said, are supposed to be completed this month and the output of those consultations would be included by a study group in a mining policy to be approved by President Aquino – hopefully by the end of this year.

Once a mining policy is approved, Paje said, he would be free to finally approve pending mining applications.

So far, Paje said, the consultations have touched on the need to generate additional revenues for the government, the cleansing of pending applications and permits.

Still to be tackled though are the issue of the open pit mining ban being imposed by some local government units (LGUS) and differing LGU positions on small-scale mining.

At least two mining projects are being adversely affected by the open pit mining ban imposed by two separate LGUs.

These are the open pit mining ban imposed by the South Cotabato LGU which would affect the potentially rich $5.9 billion Tampakan copper-gold project, and the recently passed open pit mining ban to be imposed by the Zamboanga del Norte LGU which would affect the continued operation of Canadian mining firm TVI Resources Development (TVIRD).