South Cotabato urged to reconsider open pit mining ban

MANILA, Philippines –  South Cotabato’s neighboring provinces of Davao del Sur, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat have sounded calls through their respective local executives for the province to reconsider an open pit mining ban stipulated in its environment code.

South Cotabato recently passed an environment code with a section prohibiting open pit mining in the entire province.

The ban effectively jeopardizes the proposed $5.9-billion copper-gold mining project hosted by neighboring provinces of South Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat.

Rolando Forro, Sultan Kudarat provincial board member and chairman of the board’s environment committee, has called on his fellow lawmakers to “respect the national law on mining.”

“A provincial law cannot overrule a national law,” he said.

“We as provincial lawmakers can make recommendations but we cannot ban what is allowed by a national law,” he added.

Eleanor Saguguit, Sarangani provincial board member and the board’s environment chairperson, voiced out the same position, saying, “The South Cotabato environment code overrules the National Mining Act.”

“As long as the Tampakan project abides by the law and environmental guidelines, we must give the project a chance,” Saguguit said.

Late last year, Mercedes Cagas, provincial board member of Davao del Sur, expressed support for the Tampakan project as their province intends to host three major facilities of the proposed copper-gold mine project.

The local heads of the four municipalities hosting the proposed project have also aired calls for the review of the code, asking for the dropping of the open pit ban.

Citing potential economic benefits, the local officials all agree that the mine project can be monitored to operate responsibly.