Quarrying with respect

AS quarry operators in Pangasinan gathered at the Capitol on October 5 in an assembly called by the provincial government, the country’s mining industry was in a state of shock from the previous day’s attack on three major mining operations in Surigao del Norte.

The New People’s Army (NPA), a group that holds on to communist dogma and has units nationwide, was responsible for the assaults that destroyed billions worth of equipment and facilities, and caused an unaccountable loss in terms of investor confidence not just in mining but in the business and security climate in the country as a whole. The violence is despicable even within the context of the Philippines where there is a very strong opposition against mining led mainly by environmentalist and religious groups

Mining is unarguably an extractive industry, and its impact on the environment is irreversible – once the natural resources are hauled out, there is no way of replacing them. But minerals are also indispensible – gravel, cement, iron, copper, and aluminum for example are necessary in many of the things that we now consider basic. The reality is, we need mining. And the best that can be done is to carry it out with as much consideration and respect for the environment and the affected communities – which is the very idea of “responsible mining”. This responsibility rests not just on mining companies such as the quarry operators in Pangasinan, but more so on the government in terms of regulation and monitoring as well as on the people who must be vigilant against abuses without resorting to destruction as the NPA do.

The Philippines is classified as the fifth most mineralized country in the world. Pangasinan, for example, is rich in limestone, silica, magnetized sand, zeolite, and copper, according to the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau. Mining has the potential to contribute significantly to the economy. The key is to pursue it sensibly.

*     *    *     *     *     *

That damn dam issue yet again

WHEN rain-caused floods come, we pray and hope not much harm is done us. But when floods are from the dam-waters, we can only sigh, if not curse. God makes rains, but man controls dam-waters.

Thus, when six dams in Luzon were almost simultaneously opened to release waters, many towns of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan got terribly flooded. Several people were killed, not to mention billions worth of pesos in properties, cattle and poultry, and agricultural crops getting destroyed.

Government factotums, led by those from the National Power Corporation, were blaming each other for the spillage. It’s about time the President of the Republic got the sole authority to release or not water from a dam. That way, there’s but only one responsible for the act. If a President can stop the execution of the condemned, surely, he can also avert deaths caused by the indiscriminate opening of dams.

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments