The Government Mining Policy and Mindanao (Part 1 of 3)

Q. What is the National Mining Policy?

A. The Constitution is the guide in mining Policies. 1. Art 2, Declaration of Policies “the state shall protect and promote the right to health of the people” (sec. 5), protect and advance the right of the people to a balance and healthful ecology. (sec. 16) 2. Promote the rights of indigenous cultural communities and 4. A policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest (Sec. 28) Art. 12 all utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the state (Sec 2) protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands (Sec 5)

Q. What are Mindanao’s Mineral deposits and where?

A. Nickel, Copper, Gold, Silver, Coal

1. Nickel in Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, Mati and Sigaboy, Davao Oriental
2. Copper and Gold in Tampakan, South Cotabato Mountain range from Masara to Mati
3. Gold and Copper mountains of Agusan, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte and Oriental (Buringot, Diwalwal, Masara) Kingking, Davao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Coal in Zamboanga

Q. What else must be considered in making the state mining Policy?

1. 1995 Mining Act which the Supreme Court reviewed in 2004.
2. The 2004 Executive Orders Numbers 270/270 –entitled The National Policy Agenda for Revitalizing Mining in the Philippines.

Q. 20 years ago, The DENR’s Bureau of Minerals and Resources estimated we have 7.1 billion tons of minerals and 51 billion tons of non-metallic ores. Why is mining still a crawling infant industry?

1. High electricity costs prevented the putting of large smelters of nickel, copper, iron ore, aluminum which could have meant thousands of jobs and billions of pesos of taxes.
2. No strong heavy duty roads bridges, piers for mining trucks.
3. Inefficient, turtle fast bureaucracy which waits for Manila for decisions/ Payola.
4. Corruption (Local roads check points, compulsory security guards, cities, towns and Barangay ordinances which are zeroed in on almost handcuffing the mining companies from doing anything).
5. Uneven provincial municipal policies on mining (Yes, Surigao, Yes/no South Cotabato, Romblon)