In later years, names like BHP Billiton, the world’s leading natural resources firm, partnered with local firm Asiaticus Management Corp. Xstrata-Sagittarius Mining, Inc., at US$5.9 billion the country’s largest single investment, however, was hounded by security and political issues. US-based Oro East Mining Co. made its presence in Davao Oriental, while local outfit Nationwide Development Corp. (NADECOR) signed a joint venture with Toronto-listed firm St. Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd. for the Kingking copper-gold project in Pantukan, Davao de Oro.
In 2008, JB Management Mining Corp. (JBMMC), a Davao firm that started in 1986 at Mount Diwata, Monkayo, Davao de Oro, became the first in southern Mindanao to officially seal a deal with the government through state-owned Philippine Mining Resources Corp. (PMRC), erstwhile Natural Resources Mining Development Corp. (NRMDC).
Despite the expanding list of gold-rush sites in Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental, the number of small-scale miners had exponentially climbed. By July 2012, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported that only four registered small-scale mines, among the hundreds in gold-rush sites around Davao de Oro, were able to obtain permits. Around this time, as pro-environment advocacy became intense, the nagging issues affecting mining remained.
Though there were past encyclicals on the protection of Mother Earth, the 2016 papal bull of Pope Francis titled ‘Laudato Si’ has set seven goals to protect Nature from human depredation: (i) the cry of Earth, (ii) the cry of the Poor, (iii) ecological economics, (iv) simple lifestyles, (v) ecological education, (vi) ecological spirituality, and (vii) community involvement and participation.
A reviewer once wrote about the impact of the encyclical: “It invites people to protect God’s creation for future generations, to embrace a lifestyle change for their own good, and to take care of people who are poor and more vulnerable.”
That year, the state-owned PMDC was moved from the supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and placed directly under the Office of the President, adopting a vision that “adheres to the ideals and standards of responsible mineral development and adopts the best practices in environmental protection and enhancement.”
Sec. Leo Tereso A. Magno, presidential assistant for eastern Mindanao, during the 29th Mindanao Association of Mining Engineers (MAEM) Symposium in March 2023, held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City, reechoed the theme in his message, saying”
“Mining has always been the industry that is most controversial in all industries in the country… This is because some sectors view mining as a destructive threat to the environment… But your team’s forging new heights in the integral mining industry, which manifests unity in rendering service to our people as we convene together to create immense immersive avenues of change in pursuit of the integral mining industry led by able leaders… Having these rich deposits of gold, copper, gold, and nickel, it is a blessing from God. But like any other blessings, we must make use of them and take care of them.”
Engr. Constancio A. Paje, Sr., MAEM’s president, explains in simple terms the importance of mining in everyone’s lives, stating:
“Mining only responds to society’s demand. When you wake up in the morning, you face the mirror. That mirror comes from mining. When you brush your teeth, the glass you hold comes from mining. Even the toothpaste you use when you brush your teeth comes from mining. Our computers, our laptops, and the utensils we use daily come from mining. Imagine if there is no mining, we have almost nothing to use and we will go back to Stone Age. Whether you are anti-mining, we have to continue using the products of mining.”
