Responsible Mining

The mining industry has a significant role in the Philippine economy. Economic expansion is due to the following advantages brought about by mining:

1) Higher tax incomes for the government;

2) Increase in employment in local communities;

3) An increase in demand for goods and services;

4) Supplies raw materials that are needed to build and maintain industries and economies;

5) Excellent support for mining industry in the international community;

6) and, increased foreign investments.

Mining is obviously harmful to the environment. It brings about deforestation since trees and vegetation have to be cleared out and burned in order to allow mine. The chemicals used in the process are also dangerous to the environment as they pollute the water sources and other living organisms. Mining takes the minerals from the ground where they are needed to help feed the plants and animals. It destroys the land, strips it off trees and vegetation and leaves nothing but harmful sediments.

Mining damages natural beauty. A beautiful landscaped which one existed is left as a huge piece of dug up earth. The trees are cut down and forests are left bald. Mining also causes the loss of ecosystems. Animals are displaced and are left with no homes.

Mining pollutes the environment, takes away people’s homes, and poses health risks to the surrounding communities.

One might argue that the extent of damage resulting from mining may be limited to the lifespan of the mining operations. However, the impacts on the environment and on people generally last longer than the mining operations, and may not be reversible.

On the flip side, mining operations bring jobs and money into the local economy, creates farm-to-market roads, creates infrastructure, and provides electricity, all contributing to economic progress. Mining as an industry can help the government drive infrastructure projects to greater levels so that the Philippines could move up to the next stage of economic growth. With proper programs created by the government alongside proper and truthful tax collections, the Philippine mining industry can go a long way in helping deal with poverty in the country.

Given that mining both has its advantages and disadvantages, “the question then is not whether we should mine or not, but how do we mine responsibly”, as Vice President Jejomar Binay aptly puts it.

Responsible mining takes into account its environmental, social, economic, cultural, and other impacts. Responsible mining develops the economy and its people and recognizes the delicate balance between mining and the environment. So much so that mining companies should be responsible enough to give something back to the people and the environment, the same way that communities should be guardians of the environment and partners of mining companies, being its primary beneficiaries.

Minerals are non-renewable resources. While it is inevitable that mining activities impact the surrounding environment, every measure must be undertaken to ensure that the impact is managed to acceptable degrees and that proper rehabilitation is carried out after mining operations. While we are all potential beneficiaries of the mineral wealth of our country, this paper aims to but we must not forget our role as caretakers of our nation; we must work towards responsible mining.

We believe that responsible mining can greatly contribute to national economic growth and countryside community development. However, we are also sensitive to the known environmental impacts of mining and we recognize that the development of responsible laws to govern mineral exploration, mining and investment decisions and an effective institutional structure, are fundamental for the sustainable utilization of the country's mineral resources.

When it comes to mineral resources, the Philippines is considered the fifth richest country in the world. It has the largest nickel reserves. It is third in the world for gold,