Isko to allow responsible mining if elected in May

AKSYON Demokratiko standard-bearer and Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said if elected president he will continue to allow mining in the country, but only if the players guarantee to carry out their operations responsibly.

In a televised interview, Domagoso pointed out that the country needs mining because it provides jobs, livelihood, and revenues for the government, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when the economy is hurting. "What we need is new business because the economy is really affected by this pandemic. We have to be aggressive. We have to be practical, but at the same time, we have to be responsible also for the next generation," he said.

Domagoso said the government must lure more foreign investors following the lifting of the nine-year freeze on the industry and the four-year ban in open-pit mining.

In April 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 130 which lifted the moratorium.

On December 23, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu overturned a 2017 ban on open-pit method of mining for copper, gold, silver, and complex ores. "With the hardships of life in our country, with the hardships of the impact of this pandemic on our economy, we need to generate more FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments), more jobs, more sources of income. You cannot keep on taxing our people so that we can run the government. We need to earn (in mining), but we can also be responsible in (dealing with) our environment," Domagoso said.

He said the government could further expand the industry by creating mining-related ventures and mineral processing factories. Domagoso cited the construction of steel factories as an example. "When we open a particular mine, we should be able to create another industry related to it," he said. Domagoso said he will also put an end to unregulated backyard mining, which he said contributes to the destruction of the environment.

"We can't have backyard mining and just be irresponsible. (Mining) has to have a rule. That is the important thing because with that, you will have sustainable mining and then you can protect the environment," he said.

Source: TheManila Times