PBEST LAUNCHES FACT-FINDING MISSION ON LARGE-SCALE MINES (MANILA BULLETIN) Published: April 22, 2014 A multi-sectoral group led by the Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) has launched the first leg of a series of fact-finding missions to study the environmental and social development commitments of large-scale mining operations. PBEST Secretary General Atty. Lysander Castillo said the group has recently visited the biggest mining operations in the country as part of ongoing studies to develop a mining scorecard that will evaluate the compliance of legitimate mining companies to environmental regulations and their performance in terms of delivering on social development and rehabilitation commitments. Advocacy partners of PBEST from the Asian Institute of Management-Ramon V. del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (AIM-RVR CCSR), Foundation for Economic Freedom and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Center for Environmental Studies (PUP CES) joined the fact-finding mission that went to the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) and the nickel processing plant of Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) in Palawan. Both are subsidiaries of Nickel Asia Corporation. The group conducted an extensive tour of the mining facilities and interviewed key officers and personnel on the nickel mining and processing operations, corporate social responsibility projects and critical safety and environmental protection practices. Ms. Necylene B. Gacilo of the AIM RVR CCSR said the economic potential of mining has not been maximized due to the environmental damages brought by unacceptable mining practices. NAC – RTNMC and CBNC found ways to balance the benefits among the different stakeholders by strategically planning its operation and analyzing its footprint and impact and implementing practical environmental solutions and social innovations in a high risk area. FEF Program Officer Ms. Ranna Maih Pintor said: “On an economic point of view, my argument has always been for prudent conservation rather than preservation at all cost, because that would imply no economic activity at all, and we all know that the mining industry is an important source of revenue for the Philippine government. The strongest impression I got from the trip was the scale of the mine rehabilitation project. Responsible mining is indeed possible when there is a commitment from the management to really invest in it – technology, people, and processes.” PUP CES representative Ms. Chantal Sadaba said: “I saw large scale mining as something that will only bring destruction to our environment but with the company’s perspective on bringing back what they took was something every mining company should do. They have proven that environmental mining is possible.” Castillo said PBEST and its partners is scheduled to visit Padcal Mine in Benguet and to Carmen Copper mine in Toledo City, Cebu to understand the complex issues of mining and to validate policy reforms that they will actively push to government leaders. “The mining scorecard we are developing will hopefully become the benchmark for responsible environmental stewardship that promotes the proper management of the country’s mineral resources considered to be among the richest in the world,” he said. “We encourage the large-scale mines to participate in this mission that we hope will enlighten the public and the government to adopt a developmental attitude when it comes to our natural resources and unleash huge economic benefits that have remained a potential for too long,” Castillo said. Prof. Dindo Manhit, PBEST Lead Convenor, said that since they started their advocacy sorties, they have been expanding their network of partners who believe that the private sector should play a leading role in addressing critical environmental issues native to their respective industries. Read More: mb.ph/pbest-launches-fact-finding-mission-on-large-scale-mines/
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:00:09 +0000
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