Statement of the Center for Environmental Concerns on the 29th Year of the Mining Act of 1995

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 or Republic Act (RA) 7942 was enacted by the Philippine government on March 6, 1995 during its drive for neoliberalization (privatization, liberalization and deregulation) of the economy. It was one of the first laws that allowed 100% foreign ownership to draw in foreign investment and development. However, it only contributed 1.9% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment.

Regions with the most mining and quarrying sites are also among the poorest, and export-oriented extraction further impeded the potential to build national industries. There are also few contributions to the respective Gross Regional Domestic Product (GDRP) in the regions of Ilocos, Central Visayas, and CALABARZON where mining and quarrying establishments are the highest. Many local communities have reported that these large-scale mining projects have not brought them genuine development. It has reportedly depleted the water source of the indigenous people’s communities in OceanaGold Philippine Inc. (OGPI) mining operations in Nueva Vizcaya. This project is the first Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) that allows 100% foreign ownership. Mining has also threatened the ‘Galapagos of Asia’, Sibuyan Island, home to several hundreds of species. Recently, the mining incident in Masara, Davao de Oro killed nearly 100 people outside the mining site of Apex Mining Corporation, and affected 7,000 more. Moreover, militarization, red-tagging, and killings and other civil and political rights violations were rampant in communities with mining operations, and those living in prospective mining sites. Most of the victims are indigenous people, farmers, and environmental defenders including women, and children.

While mining corporations rake in billions of pesos, the Filipino are left with the brunt of the damage. This only shows that mining companies and government agencies that allow these operations further threaten the lives of Filipino people, ecological balance, and national sovereignty.

We have seen in the mining industry that 100% foreign ownership, influx of foreign investments and import-dependent and export-oriented economy have not met the promises of development in our country. It only allowed transnational and multinational companies to exploit our natural resources and threaten our last environmental frontiers while putting us on the losing end.

With the threat to change the Philippine Constitution under the Marcos Jr administration, we fear that more environmental plunder and human rights violations that come along with it will arise. We call to scrap the Mining Act of 1995 and replace it with the People’s Mining Bill or House Bill 259 which has genuine and stronger provisions on national sovereignty, environmental protection and human rights.

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