MANILA -- Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has assured the public that the Duterte administration will strictly enforce the “non-negotiable condition” on  the mining industry  for it to adopt environmentally sustainable and responsible extractive practices  to guarantee the sustainability of this potential economic growth driver  and the vibrant future of its host-communities. 

With this industry providing jobs and spurring the economic growth of mining communities, Dominguez said it is crucial for the government’s policy decisions on this sector to be aligned  to facts and science. 

To ensure an objective assessment that will result to policy and regulatory reforms for the industry, he said the interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) had commissioned independent, multi-disciplinary teams composed of technical, legal, social, economic and environmental experts to undertake a review of large-scale metallic mines in the country. 

These teams, which  worked from February 2018 to December 2020, have submitted  their recommendations covering their two-phase review of 44 large-scale metallic mines operated by 43 companies, Dominguez said.

In the succeeding phase of the comprehensive review, the MICC plans to cover priority mining and quarry operations across the country,  including  some mines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Dominguez said. 

Dominguez, who co-chairs the MICC with Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu, said he expects the experts’ recommendations to  raise public awareness about the value of mining to the  economy and  elevate the quality of debate on the regulatory regime governing this industry, “firmly grounding it on facts and science.”

“As the Philippines fights its way out of the economic downturn and back to the path of vigorous growth, every sector of business activity is important. The Duterte administration recognizes that mining is potentially a driver of our economic recovery. In fact, it is pushing the revival of the industry to provide jobs and energize economies in the countryside,” Dominguez said in his pre-recorded message at the opening of the MICC’s Mining Review Dissemination Forum. 

“The Duterte administration is doing its utmost to ensure that the mining industry will strictly adopt environmentally sustainable and responsible extractive practices. This non-negotiable condition will help guarantee the sustainability of the industry and the vibrant economic future of its host communities,” he added.

Dominguez noted that the Philippines is one of the countries in the world rich in mineral resources, which can reap tremendous benefits for the economy and its people if responsible and sustainable practices are strictly adhered to by the mining industry. 

On top of creating jobs and  driving the  growth of local economies, Dominguez said mining projects also lead to additional investments in infrastructure, utilities, and other social development initiatives that benefit their respective host communities. 

“It is therefore crucial to ensure that we align our policies for this industry to facts and science. Otherwise, policy decisions could wreak havoc on an industry on which many local communities depend on,” Dominguez said.

He noted that “wrong-headed policies” could end up damaging  the environment instead of protecting it as he recalled the time when mining regulation “was so politicized that informal and small-scale mining operations were allowed to be completely unregulated.”

Dominguez said the comprehensive review ordered by the MICC,  provides a venue to share its  findings and lessons—both good and bad—with a view to raise awareness that will lead to policy and regulatory reform.” 

The mining audit was mandated by Executive Order (EO) No. 79 in 2012, which directs the MICC to undertake a multi-stakeholder review on the performance of existing mining operations. 

The purpose of the audit is to address issues relating to the mining industry and to improve the regulation of the sector. 

“While it was mandated as early as 2012, no review was done until the Duterte administration took over and seriously committed to perform this important task,” Dominguez said. (DOF)