DENR Reverses 4-year Ban on Open-pit Mining

The Philippines has decided to lift the 4-year ban on open-pit mining after environment secretary Roy Cimatu signed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-40. This move was done in an effort to stimulate the country’s economy as it continues to struggle under the circumstances of the prolonged global pandemic.

Open-pit mining was banned in 2017 by the late Gina Lopez, who was also the environment secretary at the time, for its “adverse impacts to the environment, particularly due to the generation of acidic and/or heavy metal-laden water, erosion of mine waste dumps and/or vulnerability of tailings dams to geological hazards.”

The move is consistent with President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier decision to lift the nine-year ban on new mining deals, which was put in place by the late Noynoy Aquino. “We offered the mining [industry] as a potential contributor to the recovery of the economy,” explained mines and geosciences bureau (MGB) director Wilfred Moncano. “Once these are commercially producing… these are the ones that will be helping pay our loans to fight the pandemic.”

According to Moncano, around ₱80 billion in taxes and royalties could be generated by the government annually after commercial operations resume. Last year, revenues from mining accounted for less than 1% of the country’s GDP based on government data. The environment department has also reassured that rules are already in place to protect nature despite the resumption of open-pit mining.

“Pinag-aralan na natin kasi ‘yan. Tiningnan natin ‘yong mga argumento. Tiningnan natin kung anong mga kaunting kailangan nating ma-improve natin sa mining operations, methods,” said DENR undersecretary Jonas Leones. “Ang mga issue kasi dati, mga environmental compliance, at sabi nila destructive. But sa ngayon, nakikita natin na we have already put in place mga policy that protect our environment. And then talagang naka-monitor na ‘yong compliance ng mga nagma-mining activity.”

(“We have studied that. We looked into the arguments, the few things that we should improve in mining operations.” The previous issue was environmental compliance, and they say it’s destructive. But we have put in place policies that would protect our environment, and the compliance of mining activities will be monitored.”

“Pag nahuli natin sila na not complying strictly with our policy, environmental laws, and sa mga bago nating polisiya sa mining, talagang hindi tayo mangingimi na isarado natin ‘yan,” he added.

(“If we catch them not complying strictly with our policy, environmental laws, and our new mining policies, we will not hesitate to close them.”)

Activists, on the other hand, have called the move a “short-sighted and misplaced development priority of the government.” “Once again, the Duterte regime puts more premium to its flawed economic agenda categorizing destructive mining as an ‘essential industry’ as part of the pandemic recovery,” remarked the Alliance to End Mining.

Sources: PhilStar, ABS CBN