All 'mine' to give

I was invited to attend the conference on mining organized by the PCCI, MAP and the Finex with industry leaders, anti-mining advocates and other stakeholders present. Judging from the jam-packed InterCon ballroom, the level of interest on the economic and ecological impact of mining is a very major concern especially since government will soon be coming out with an Executive Order outlining a new policy for the mining sector.

At the forefront for the mining industry were our friends Philex Mining Corporation chairman Manny Pangilinan and Nickel Asia CEO Gerry Brimo, along with my cousin Philip Romualdez who is president of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines. On the other side of the fence were former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod and Gina Lopez, whom I have worked with on various occasions because I happen to also believe in preserving the environment. But like Gina, I don’t believe in the outright ban on mining.

Gina talked about the threats posed on the biodiversity of areas like Palawan and argued that no amount of reforestation can restore an ecological system. While there is no mistaking the passion of Gina for her advocacy in protecting and preserving the environment, unfortunately her efforts are being handicapped by the West Tower condominium disaster where a leak in the FPIC pipeline owned by the Lopez family caused the spillage of almost three million liters of petroleum in Barangay Bangkal in Makati — an issue that was inevitably raised at some point during the open forum. In fairness to Gina, for as long as I can remember she has always been a staunch environmental advocate through Bantay Kalikasan, taking on the gargantuan task of cleaning up the Pasig River. For that alone, we should all be grateful considering that even former first lady Ming Ramos could not sustain it. Although Gina is not directly involved in her family’s oil pipeline business, she did say they are spending millions in rectifying the situation.

Naturally when you have the pros and the passionate antis, the discussion can become heated, compounded by the summer temperature. One of the arguments raised against the industry was its negative impact on agriculture — a misconception, according to Gerry Brimo, who said that mined areas have very high levels of laterite with aluminum and iron oxides turning the soil red and therefore making them unsuitable for agriculture. Although there are some sectors pushing for a total ban, it is apparent that both the pros and the cons agree: mining can be done as long as the concerns of all parties are carefully considered and addressed.

Many environmentalists like Gina Lopez are not against the whole industry per se but only in island ecosystems. MVP clearly pointed out that everything we use today — from cellphones to laptops to cars and appliances down to the microphones used to protest against the industry — use minerals that are extracted through mining. We really cannot totally ban mining because the need for its products will not stop — in which case the country will have to import and pay more for something that we have in abundance, MVP stressed.

While industry players may concede that mining activities do have an impact on the environment (but which industry and business does not anyway, an observer noted), the Philippines has the Mining Act of 1995 which outlines specific provisions relative to environmental protection. Yet while large-scale mining is heavily regulated, the same cannot be said of the small-scale industry which, unfortunately, comprises the bigger number of operators numbering almost 300,000 compared to 31 large-scale mines.

The admission by Mines and Geosciences Bureau director Leo Jasareno that small-scale mining accounts for 68 percent of the country’s total gold production also came as a shock to many in the audience, coupled with the revelation that these do not pay excise taxes unlike large-scale industry players who paid P13.8 billion in taxes, royalties and other fees to government in 2010 alone. But as Philip Romualdez revealed, small-scale mining according to a Cabinet Secretary is the new “jueteng,” with local government executives colluding with small-scale miners who more often than not pose hazards to the environment because their activities are unregulated — like what happened in Compostela Valley.

In the end, residents of small-scale mining communities lose out because they do not derive benefits from these mining activities. After all, if the taxes paid by the industry were to be translated to the number of roads, classrooms, schools and other infrastructure that could be built, then one could see the contribution of mining to this country. Perhaps it should also be pointed out that companies like Philex Mining allocate funds to uplift the lives of residents by providing scholarships, housing, medical benefits and livelihood programs on top of the provisions stipulated by the law. 

The Philippines sits on one of the biggest mineral reserves in the world with untapped mineral wealth estimated at over $840 billion according to the US State Department. One thing is clear: it all boils down to a “balancing act” just like with everything we do in this world - from diet, exercise, working and enjoying life to spending and saving money. The same goes for the earth’s resources that need balance in the way they are harnessed for our survival. Our God-given mineral wealth and ecosystem are not for anyone to “give” but are there for all of us to equally share.

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We were shocked and saddened by the death of our former president at the Manila Overseas Press Club, Isagani Yambot. Our deepest sympathy to the family of Gani and his colleagues at the Inquirer.

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