Mine firm welcomes hearing on Environment Code

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) has welcomed the special hearing conducted by the environment committee of the South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan on the province’s Environment Code which bans the use of open pit mining methods.

The hearing forms part of a series of stakeholder engagement activities being undertaken by the provincial board in relation to the code and follows a similar forum last month involving quarry operators in the province.

SMI general manager Mark Williams said, “SMI appreciated the significant show of support by host tribal communities and local government units for the Tampakan project at the special hearing.”

“We share their belief that a project of this magnitude undertaken by a company that is committed to the highest standards of sustainable development offers unprecedented opportunities for the region,” he said.

Since the passage of the code, Williams said a wide range of stakeholders has called for its review and “we are hopeful that through continuing dialogue and engagement with all parties involved there will be a timely resolution regarding this matter.”

“While the Tampakan project is not immediately impacted by the ban on open pit mining (as) it is still in the exploration phase, we continue to monitor this issue closely and engage with all stakeholders regarding the proposed development of the project,” he added.

The Tampakan copper-gold project is situated on the boundaries of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, and represents one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region.