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Wednesday, 31st May 2006 (2165 views)

The gold mining industry in the Philippines is being prevented from filling its potential, according to an economist and researcher.

Writing in the Asia Times, David Llorito notes that "these should be boom times for the Philippines' mining industry", but that mining opponents have practically brought the sector to a standstill.

A toxic spill by gold miner Lafayette at a mining operation on Rapu-Rapu island resulted in 17kg of fish being killed. A commission then recommended to President Gloria Arroyo that a total ban be imposed on the country's mining.

However, this recommendation was turned down, with presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor saying that "well-paying, sustainable jobs in the mining sector can be had side-by-side with strict environmental protection measures".

Mr Llorito suggests that opposition to the country's mining sector is exacerbated by memories of the Marcopper mining disaster in 1996, when toxic spills damaged the health of local people and caused other problems.

However, Lafayette has stressed that the Rapu-Rapu spill was on a far smaller scale and that the commission's findings were "unscientific and flawed".

A mining executive asked: "How could 17kg of dead fish force the closure of a multi-million dollar project that is benefiting more than a thousand workers and the community in terms of social development projects?"

The Philippines government expects mining to create up to a quarter of a million jobs over the coming six years, as well as more than $5 billion in foreign exchange per year.

 

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