BahagHari: My Stand for the Environment

Finally, Luzon got the guts to formally organize a conference on mining and ecology. The conference was held at University of Santo Tomas with participants from different sectors. Big names from the PROs and ANTIs were there to voice out their stand and opinion on this pressing issue. This conference is also essential especially that the President is expected to release an executive order to clear the road of mining in the Philippines.

I was not able to attend the event because of an exam (which was rescheduled by my prof - BOOO!) good thing, rappler.com covered the whole event and provided its followers a chance to interact thru twitter.

The conference gave 15 minutes for each speaker to discuss their thoughts about mining. But the most controversial (well, at least for me) scene happened off the stage. It's between Manny Pangilinan (Chairman, Philex Mining) and Gina Lopez (ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. -Save Palawan Movement).

Here's the video.

I never thought MVP is one of those who really advocate mining. Well, after hearing him defend his side, I could not help but frown on how limited and shallow his understanding were when it comes to mining. I would not discuss the science why we should not allow mining activities in the Philippines, but let me give you some facts on how mining negatively contributes to our industry.

IN 2010, MINING WAS ONLY
-- 1% of the economy (P 88.2 Billion gross value-added to GDP)
-- 4% of exports (US$ 2.032 Million to Japan, Australia, Canada, China and others)
-- 0.5% of employment (197,000 jobs)
-- 1.1% of National Government revenues (P 13.7 Billion in national government/local government unit, mining taxes, fees and royalties vs the P1.208 Trillion total government revenues)
WHILE
landgrabbing, community displacement, human rights violations ,environmental degradation
IN 1,042,531 HECTARES COVERED BY 785 MINING TENEMENTS.

(Mining and Underdevelopment IBON, 2011)

Mining is NOT a large job generator, NOT an economic driver, & NOT an option for an agricultural, geo-hazardous and biodiverse country like the Philippines.

- From 2000 - 2009, the mining sector only contributed 0.376% to the total employment of the Philippines and only 0.91% of GDP. (NSCB data)
- In stark contrast, Agriculture generates an annual employment force of 35% of our country's labor force.
- EXCISE TAX, the country's only share from mining: from 2000 to 2009, they accounted for ONLY 0.7% of total excise tax collections.

- Per METRIC TON (!) of mine wastes, contractors are charged with a ridiculously low rate of P0.50 per Metric Ton of mine waste and P0.10 per metric ton of tailings. (Isn't this CRAZY)

With these facts, mining advocates would push that to eradicate these crazy activities we should have a better and clearer law on mining. Friends, even if we have the best law on mining, still, we will experience a lot of troubles especially in the preservation of our ecology (forest, air, land, marine life). In an island ecosystem like the Philippines, we could not just allow any mining activity. We are not like Canada or Australia which have wide lands to mine. Every mining activity in the Philippines could cost us thousands of trees, hectares of corals, tons of marine animals and a bulk of our precious population.

MVP's point that "there is nothing there" (where they mine) is not an excuse for them to mine the land. An ecosystem will always be interconnected, a certain damage to one of it's vital parts will cause a lot to the others.

How could we ever promote that it's truly "more fun" in the Philippines if we don't have anything to show? The Philippines is best for environmental and agricultural tourism. Palawan made it! They say no mining and no logging - now, they are positively booooming!

Now, where do we go? Sa tuwid na daan?