An advocacy group dubbed as the Alliance of Responsible Miners in Region XI In cooperation with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau XI held the 3rd stakeholders’ forum on responsible mining at the Grand Regal Hotel participated in by environmental planners, environment planning officers of different local government units and provincial development planning officers from the provinces.
Constancio Paje, Jr., president of the Armor XI said they want to share to all interested parties the policies involving in the extraction, development and the utilization of the country’s mineral resources.
He said the ARMOR XI is also soliciting the Solomonic experiences and wisdom on environmental planning, in the Mindanao development.
“Whether you like it or not, whether you are either an anti or pro mining advocate, you continue to use mineral products, especially when we wake up in the morning and see ourselves on the mirror, the mirror comes through the mining industry. The toothpaste and the glass used in brushing our teeth come from the mining industry. Pots and pot holders used in cooking our food, plates, spoons and forks in consuming them also come from the mining industry. Computers, cellular phones, cars and buildings are creations from the mining industry,” Paje said.
He bared that mineral products are very significant to our lives and without mining, people live like monkeys.
Paje observed, through mining, people tend to construct houses made of bricks.
“Perhaps, all of our mountains are bald if we used wood in the construction of our houses. As they say, save the forests, use mineral resources,” he said.
Paje noted that while Arab countries enjoy the presence of oil in the desert, the Philippines also enjoy the presence of mineral resources.
“We are third in the world for gold, fourth in the world for copper, fifth in the world for chromite and sixth in the world for nickel, tantamount to $1-Trillion,” he said.
Paje said the Philippines will only take the challenge how to develop, explore and utilize these mineral resources at the same time, protecting the environment.
He said the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (Republic Act No. 7942) adheres to the principles of sustainable development which calls for economic growth, environmental protection and community development.
“As long as we have these three pillars, we have responsible mining in the country. This law requires a science-based decision making wherein a firm must adhere before the issuance of an environment compliance certificate,” Paje stressed. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G.Dalumpines)
