Mining industry expects open-pit ban lifted by first quarter
- Carlo Canlas
- Jan 10, 2018
- 2 min read
Roy Cimatu, Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary (File photo by RAPPLER)
After a year of suspensions, and bans signed by the former Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez, new DENR Sec. Roy Cimatu shows hopes for mining companies regarding the clash on the existing open pit mining ban.
“We are hoping that the ban will be lifted in the first quarter. Secretary (Roy Cimatu) said they would be studying it,” Silangan Mindanao Mining Co. Inc. chief operating officer Mike Toledo said in a recent interview with The Philippine STAR.
Cimatu’s decision was backed by the recommendation of Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban imposed by former DENR Sec. Gina Lopez under Administrative Order 2017-10, which prohibits open pit mining for gold, copper, silver, and complex ores.
Bayani Agabin , Department of Finance undersecretary said the MICC recommended the lifting of the ban and rules and regulations must be enforced tightly.
MICC had also recommended the lifting of ban on October 2017, but President Rodirigo Duterte rejected the proposal.
“Ayaw ko because it is destroying the soil and walang corrective measures kaagad (I don’t want to because it is destroying the soil and there is no immediate corrective measure)”, says Pres. Duterte in an interview. He also rejected the recent interagency proposal led by MICC along with mining firms last month.
If the existing ban will be lifted, Philex Mining’s biggest prospect of open-pit mining in the country is the Silangan Project in Surigao del Norte may start pre-development works and may produce in early 2020 and set to generate 170 billion revenues by its first year. This will be the biggest foreign investment and one of the largest copper and producers in the world.
MICC will review the suspensions including the open-pit mining ban signed by former Sec. Lopez. Mines and Geosciences Bureau was also working on to find ways on lifting the ban on open pit method of mining.