Consultations on proposed lift of South Cotabato anti-mining law done

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — The South Cotabato Sangguniang Panlalawigan is done with its consultations on the viability of lifting an open-pit mining ban hindering since 2010 the extraction of copper deposits in the province, touted as Asia’s largest.

Acting Natural Resources Secretary Jim Sampulna said Saturday he was glad to have spoken about the stand of the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on the issue during a multi-sectoral hearing at a gymnasium here last Thursday.

Sampulna talked about the advantages of allowing the exploration of copper deposits in South Cotabato’s nearby Tampakan town and how the venture can generate employment for thousands, boost the economy of the province and earn for the government much-need revenues essential to recover from its so costly anti-pandemic initiatives.

“We have assured those present in the consultation that the government shall strictly enforce all regulations meant to ensure responsible copper mining in Tampakan,” Sampulna said.

Foreign and Filipino mining experts and geologists have placed at no less than 5.8 billion in Euro currency the least value of copper deposits in Tampakan, home to indigenous Blaan communities.

Tribal datus of the Blaan and T’boli groups in South Cotabato are asserting their longtime wishes for copper mining in Tampakan --- based on the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act that empowers them to harness, to their benefit, the natural resources obtainable in their ancestral lands.

“The IPRA is a law that we should also take into consideration in addressing the issue," Sampulna, a Maguindanaon, said.

The two South Cotabato SP public hearings on mounting cross-section clamors for the lifting of the ban, first in Tampakan on February 18 and followed by the session here on Thursday, involved all members of the provincial law-making body chaired by Vice Gov. Vicente De Jesus.

Blaan and Tboli datus took turns appealing for the lifting of the provincial anti-open pit mining ban during both public consultations, also participated by groups against the amendment of the ordinance to pave the way for copper mining operations in Tampakan.

Members of the Catholic community who are against amending the South Cotabato environment code, led by Bishop Cerilo Alan Casicas, were also given chances to talk about their position on the issue during the consultations. 

A quick random survey by a bloc of reporters showed that not all Catholics in the province are opposed to having the ban lifted.

Besides Sampulna, Engineer Constancio Paye, Jr., president of the Mindanao Association of Mining Engineers Incorporated, also discussed during Thursday's consultation the advantages of allowing copper in Tampakan economy-wise.

A retired government mining engineer, Paye said the state has more stringent measures now on ensuring responsible mining of minerals and fuel deposits.

“There are multipartite monitoring teams and mine rehabilitation committees composed of representatives from different sectors, from the local government units, from non-government organizations and experts from different agencies of the national government that are to cooperate in ensuring responsible mining activities,” Paye said.

Officials of big business blocs here and in nearby provinces are supporting the demand of the indigenous and settler communities to have what is for them anti-poor provincial open-pit mining ban amended immediately.

Vicente Lao, president of the influential Mindanao Business Council, earlier said he, too, wishes for the amendment of the ordinance.

In a statement, Lao said the fear environmentalists have about copper mining in Tampakan shall surely be addressed by the government and the company contracted to operate in the area.

Hundreds of representatives from pro-mining communities attended the consultations here last Thursday, among them tribal chieftains dressed in traditional attire.