Groups square off on mining Friday.

Philippine Daily Inquirer
March 2, 2012

Mining supporters and critics are expected to square off Friday in a forum organized by the country’s biggest business organizations amid fresh doubts over the viability of the local industry aggravated by the government’s seemingly uncertain policy stance toward it.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting president Eduardo Lacson said the event was meant to provide both camps with a venue to air their views to the public in an “unemotional” context.

“What we want to happen is for both pro- and anti-mining groups to present their arguments to the public in a formal setting and we’ll let the public decide which one they’ll believe,” he said.

The PCCI official said in jest that he expected either “fireworks” or “fistfights” at the forum that would be held at the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati City Friday afternoon. Apart from the PCCI, the forum is also being co-sponsored by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines and the Management Association of the Philippines.

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