When media outfits talk about the mining industry, conversations usually involve bad news: disasters, illegal mining activities and the total mining ban.
Perhaps one big reason for the bad press surrounding mining is the publicity mileage gained by some anti-mining movements being pushed by celebrities and TV personalities.
They always make good copy for news.
Also, based on one estimate, there are over 800 abandoned mining sites all over the country, which surely add to the bad reputation of the country, even among environmental groups abroad.
Thus, a number of big mining projects still could not take off, despite billions of pesos already invested in them by local and foreign companies.
Obviously, the mining industry is losing the publicity war.
It needs to fight back, if only to counter the total-ban hard line espoused by anti-mining groups.
Between us girls, I heard that the mining industry has just hired a new public relations agency to handle its information campaign. Something to do with mining as every Filipino’s business!
Things will probably get more interesting.
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Anyway, in a large area in the exciting province of Camarines Sur, which last year became the country’s top tourist destination, the power to oversee all forms of mining activities now belongs to a government corporation.
I am not kidding.
In one district of CamSur, supervision over mining activities does not belong to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or to the provincial government.
The last time I checked, R.A. 7942 (Philippine Mining Act) and R.A. 7076 (People’s Small-Scale Mining Act) put such powers in the local governments where the mine sites are located.
In fact, the DENR has ordered all mining investors to first seek the approval of the local government units before it can even entertain their applications for a license.
Now the government corporation in CamSur, the one exempted from the law, is known as the Partido Development Authority, or the PDA.
A special law created the corporation during the time of former President Fidel “Kuya Eddie” Ramos, supposedly to oversee the economic development of one particular district in CamSur, the 4th district called “Partido.”
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The political dynasty in the district is none other than the Fuentebella family. The family has the congressional seat, now occupied by Deputy House Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella.
One of his sons is the chairman of the government corporation PDA; another son is the mayor of a town in the same district.
Now Fuentebella is said to be the main force behind a proposed law, House Bill 4820, seeking to divide CamSur into two provinces.
He happens to be on his last term in Congress.
In other countries, his move to split the province may be known simply as “gerrymandering,” designed to create new elected positions for politicos.
Our info is that somebody railroaded approval of the bill in the House of Representatives, although the House did not conduct even just a single public hearing in the province, to seek the views of the people who would be most affected by the proposed split.
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According to sources, some senators are not exactly convinced about the wisdom of splitting CamSur, particularly with the “gerrymandering” issue.
Thus, in the Senate, the bill will likely encounter strict scrutiny.
Some groups are already pointing at dozens of “legal infirmities” in the proposed bill.
For instance, the bill equips the government of the new province, to be called “Nueva Camarines,” with so much power that the provincial government would be the one to license funeral parlors, cockpits and gamecock breeding, liquor shops, public transport (tricycles and ferries), public markets and slaughterhouses, fish pens, gyms, hotels, health spas, and entertainment joints (i.e. bars).
Such licensing authority normally goes to the city or the municipal governments.
But it seems that “Nueva Camrines” is unlike any other province.
Under the proposed bill, its government can also collect fees on utilities (i.e. water), billboards, parking and all other business fees.
Question: Do the city and the municipal governments get to collect the same fees?
Hooray, it is double taxation time!
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And so autonomy seems to be the style of governance in certain parts of CamSur, including the 4th district covered by the government corporation PDA.
As far as I know, it is the only government corporation that is completely on its own, without being attached to another government outfit. Thus PDA on its own can obtain commercial loans without need for approval from higher authorities. Wow!
About 13 years ago, PDA in fact was able to borrow almost P1 billion from abroad to finance the Partido Water Supply System (PWSS) project.
Not long after, the national government was forced to absorb the debt, despite the high water rates charged by the PDA.
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A few months ago, the same PDA with the same bad track record in doing business signed a MOA with DENR over mining activities in the 4th district.
Under the MOA, the authority to evaluate mining projects in the district would no longer belong to the provincial government.
It goes to a special committee made up of representatives from the DENR and the PDA, plus a third member endorsed by both. (Note: No representative from the LGUs.)
The amazing MOA covers the towns of Caramoan, Sagñay, Tigaon, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Tinamban, Siruma, Presentacion and Garchitorena.
That same Caramoan is now world-famous for being the site of five international editions of the widely popular reality TV show “Survivor.”
The feat was of course accomplished by the provincial government of CamSur, the same outfit waylaid in the MOA on mining activities in the province entered into by the DENR.
This may be another issue for the new PR outfit of the mining industry. As if the industry does not have enough problems already!