MANILA, Philippines—Large-scale miners and commercial wood producers have hit back at special interest groups linking their respective sectors to the devastation wrought by tropical storm Sendong in northern Mindanao and nearby provinces.
In a statement, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) condemned “the efforts of left-wing and anti-mining organizations” to put political pressure on the government and to compel it to impose a moratorium on all forms of mining in the country.
The miners’ group said the tragedy should instead push authorities to unify jurisdiction over both small-scale and large-scale mining under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
At present, local government authorities give out small-scale mining permits independently.
COMP president Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez said, “The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has confirmed that there are no large-scale mining operations in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. We call on authorities to investigate reports of illegal logging and illegal small-scale mining activities in these areas and to impose maximum penalties on those who will be found to have violated the law.”
Romualdez appealed to the general public to be wary of groups that are taking advantage of the situation in northern Mindanao to promote their signature campaign to stop all forms of mining.
“Legitimate large-scale mining firms follow the most stringent laws on environmental management and protection, including rehabilitation and reforestation of mined out areas as well as soil erosion and siltation control measures,” Romualdez said.
The northern Mindanao tragedy, Romualdez noted, is one of the reasons why COMP has recommended to the Minerals Policy Group to ask Congress to expressly repeal PD 1899, which empowers local government officials to issue small-scale mining permits without asking for an Environmental Impact Assessment.
COMP said the national government should implement RA 7076, which requires a full-blown Environmental Impact Assessment—something that large-scale miners are already complying with.
The Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA), meanwhile, said through deputy executive director Maila R. Vasquez that there are no commercial logging operations in northern Mindanao.
Vasquez said in a briefing that commercial loggers have not operated in 10 months because of the logging ban imposed by Malacañang in February.
The country imported 2,000 containers, each holding 56 cubic meters of logs and hardwood, as of October this year, or more than twice the volume imported in the same period last year, according to PWDPA data.
Vasquez said PWPA members have had to pare down operations, letting go of 40,000 workers in the process.
About 650,000 more jobs in the wood industry are threatened while illegal loggers are having a field day in areas where commercial wood producers no longer operate in line with the log ban.