MindaNews » Opposition stunts growth of PH mining industry, PCCI admits.

By Bong S. Sarmiento
February 28, 2012

KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/27 February) – The huge potential of the country’s mining industry has not moved forward due to the strong opposition by environmentalist, church groups and local politicians, a major business group admitted.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) cited as an example the Tampakan copper-gold project of Sagittarius Mines Inc., which is controlled by Xstrata Copper, the world’s fourth largest copper producer.

The Tampakan project experiences delays because of continued opposition by civil society and the provincial government, and the succeeding denial of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), it said in a statement on Saturday.

PCCI, the country’s largest business organization, said it was concerned over the impasse between mining and environmental concerns.

Owing to this, the group is calling on all stakeholders to gather “in an objective and intelligent discussion to come up with a rational and acceptable solution that will advance sustainable development, responsible mining and inclusive economic growth.”

The Philippines is ranked top five in the world for overall mineral reserves, which cover an estimated nine million hectares. Mineral reserves in the country are estimated at US$ 1.4 trillion.

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