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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-mining-idUSKBN17T0FW

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MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said on Thursday she will ban open-pit mining in the country, toughening a months-long crackdown on the sector she blames for extensive environmental damage.

The ban comes just days before the outspoken environmentalist-turned-regulator faces a confirmation hearing in Congress that could lead to her removal as minister after a storm of complaints from pro-mining groups.

Lopez, who has already ordered the closure of more than half the country's operating mines and has previously described open pit mines as "madness", said it was within her prerogative to ban the practice, which is allowed under Philippines mining law.

"Each open pit is a financial liability for government for life," she told a media briefing. "It kills the economic potential of the place."

The ban will take effect immediately but will not cover existing mines, she said.

Mining is a contentious issue in the largely underexplored Southeast Asian country after past examples of environmental mismanagement.

Lopez in February ordered the permanent closure of 22 of 41 operating mines in the world's top nickel ore supplier and later canceled dozens of contracts for undeveloped mines to protect water resources.

Miners have argued her actions are illegal and no mine has yet been closed as companies pursue an appeals process that can only be settled by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines described her latest move as "absurd."

"With this open-pit ban, she is essentially banning the mining of shallow ore deposits that can only be extracted using open-pit mining," said Chamber spokesman Ronald Recidoro.

WANTS DUTERTE AS SUCCESSOR

The ban would halt the $5.9 billion Tampakan copper-gold project in South Cotabato province in Mindanao island, the nation's biggest stalled mining venture.

Tampakan failed to take off after the province where it is located banned open-pit mining in 2010, prompting commodities giant Glencore Plc to quit the project in 2015.

Lopez has said the project would cover an area the size of 700 football fields in what otherwise would be agricultural land.

There are currently 14 open pits in the country, 10 of them abandoned, said Lopez, who flew to several mining sites in recent weeks to inspect them.

Lawmakers will resume hearings on Lopez's appointment on May 2 after sessions in March when pro-mining groups assailed her capacity as minister.

Lopez said she was imposing the ban now because she was unsure of the outcome of the hearings.

If lawmakers reject her appointment, Lopez said she wants Duterte to succeed her.

"That's the kind of person you really need at DENR," she said, referring to her agency. "Brave, cannot be bought, everyone will be scared."

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Philippines bans open-pit mining as minister toughens crackdown

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MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said on Thursday she will ban open-pit mining in the country, toughening a months-long crackdown on the sector she blames for extensive environmental damage. The ban comes just days before the outspoken environmentalist-turned-regulator faces a confirmation hearing in Congress that could lead to her removal as minister after a storm of complaints from pro-mining groups.

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https://www.rappler.com/business/philippines-lifts-open-pit-mining-ban-december-2021/

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'At this time when climate change brings devastating typhoons such as Odette, lifting the ban on open pit mining is a short-sighted and misplaced development priority of the government,' says Alyansa Tigil Mina

MANILA, Philippines - The Duterte administration has lifted the ban on open pit mining at a time when debates on mining and climate change are heightened due to the recent devastation brought by Typhoon Odette (Rai).

Through an administrative order issued on December 23, environment secretary Roy Cimatu reversed the ban imposed by his late predecessor Gina Lopez in 2017.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) argued that there are technologies that can "help avoid or manage the negative impacts" of open pit mining.

"Major issues concerning mining including open pit mining cannot be attributed to the use of the method itself, but rather on the accidents involving wastes and tailings confinement."

DENR added that "progressive rehabilitation" of mined out areas are being practiced to reduce its impact on the environment.

DENR said that for companies to engage in the controversial mining method, they would have to ensure that:

It does not pose possible hazard to public health and safety

It does not release hazardous chemicals into the environment

The company conduct a comprehensive stakeholders' involvement process

The company has sufficient geological data to conduct proper assessment of local geology, rock mass characteristics, hydrogeology, and surface hydrology

An oversight committee consisting of the DENR, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service, and Mining and Muslin Affairs, will ensure that miners comply with laws and regulations.

Environment group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), which had long linked mining to health hazards and flooding, said that the order is a "cruel Christmas gift from DENR and a truly ironic act of cowardice and betrayal from DENR Secretary Cimatu and President Duterte."

"At this time when climate change brings devastating typhoons such as Odette, lifting the ban on open pit mining is a short-sighted and misplaced development priority of the government. Once again, the Duterte regime puts more premium to its flawed economic agenda categorizing destructive mining as an 'essential industry' as part of the pandemic recovery."

ATM hopes that this would be an "eye-opener for all environmentalists to be more proactive in engaging in the 2022 elections." - Rappler.com

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Philippines lifts open pit mining ban as country reels from Odette's impact

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'At this time when climate change brings devastating typhoons such as Odette, lifting the ban on open pit mining is a short-sighted and misplaced development priority of the government,' says Alyansa Tigil Mina MANILA, Philippines - The Duterte administration has lifted the ban on open pit mining at a time when debates on mining and climate change are heightened due to the recent devastation brought by Typhoon Odette (Rai).

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URL:
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/10/philippine-court-upholds-open-pit-mining-ban-in-mindanao/
TITLE: Philippine court upholds open-pit mining ban in Mindanao

AUTHOR:
Bong S. Sarmiento
DATE PUBLISHED:
19 October 2020
KEY INFO:
In its Oct. 12 ruling, the court in South Cotabato province dismissed a petition for an injunction against the ban on open-pit mining that has been in effect in the province for the past 10 years. Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), the developer of the planned mine in the South Cotabato town of Tampakan, was not a petitioner in the case.

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Philippine court upholds open-pit mining ban in Mindanao

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SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines - A court in the Philippines has dealt another setback to the company looking to mine Southeast Asia's largest untapped deposits of copper and gold, ruling to uphold a ban on the type of destructive mining being proposed. In its Oct. 12 ruling, the court in South Cotabato province dismissed a petition [...]

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URL: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124104
TITLE: MinDA exec says illegal mining, logging uncovered in Mt. Apo
AUTHOR:
Edwin Fernandez
DATE PUBLISHED:
December 8, 2020
KEY INFO:
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Secretary Emmanuel Piñol described as "outrageous" the illegal mining operations and illegal cutting of hardwood trees inside the Mt. Apo protected area.

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OUTRAGEOUS DISCOVERY. Personnel from DENR-North Cotabato inspect the entrance of the tunnel and the mined materials in Barangay Panaca, Magpet, North Cotabato which is well within the Mt. Apo protected area. Personnel of the DENR (inset) also documented the logged area near the illegal mining sites where hardwood trees have been cut. (Photo courtesy of DENR-North Cotabato)

COTABATO CITY - Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Secretary Emmanuel Piñol described as "outrageous" the illegal mining operations and illegal cutting of hardwood trees inside the Mt. Apo protected area.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Piñol said the mining and cutting of trees were uncovered by a team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) North Cotabato inside the Mt. Apo protected area in Barangay Don Panaca, Magpet town.

"What makes this discovery totally outrageous was the confirmation that local officials, allegedly protected by Army soldiers, are behind the mining and clearing operations inside one (of) the last remaining forest areas of Mindanao," Piñol said.

He said the poachers have started planting bananas in the areas cleared of natural growing trees in an attempt to cover the logged areas.

"I have directed officials of the MinDA to coordinate with the DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau to get to the bottom of this," Piñol, the MinDA secretary who hails in Kidapawan City and a known environmentalist, said.

He said he was preparing a report to be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte so that the encroachment into the Mt. Apo forest reserves will be stopped immediately. (PNA)

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MinDA exec says illegal mining, logging uncovered in Mt. Apo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
COTABATO CITY - Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair Secretary Emmanuel Piñol described as "outrageous" the illegal mining operations and illegal cutting of hardwood trees inside the Mt. Apo protected area.In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Piñol said the mining and...

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URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/philippines-mining-idUSL2N2N70P6
TITLE: UPDATE 1-Philippine mines bureau boss sees end to open-pit mining ban soon

AUTHOR:
Enrico Dela Cruz
DATE PUBLISHED:
May 20, 2021
KEY INFO:
Policies against open-pit mining will soon be eased as the ban against it will be lifted. This ban lift may pave the way for leniency against mining and has a high potential to be abused long-term, and as such, illegal.

Note: As of 2021, the ban lift has already been approved.

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For more than two decades, anti-mining groups and indigenous communities in the southern Philippines have opposed a massive mining project there, blocking it both in the courts and on the ground. The permit was set to end on March 12 this year - but before the detractors could rejoice, they learned it had won a 12-year extension, issued three years ago but only made public last October.

"It was done under the radar of the community, there was no public consultation," Macki Maderazo of the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI), a church-based network of civil society organisations, told Mongabay. "Presumably, the ones who would know first are the civil society groups ... but nobody heard about the extension or of the application for the extension until last year."

Known as the Tampakan project, the 23,571-hectare (58,245-acre) site lies at the intersection of the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and Davao del Sur. It holds an estimated 12.8 million metric tonnes of copper and 15.2 million ounces of gold, potentially yielding an average of 375,000 metric tonnes of copper and 360,000 ounces of gold in concentrate per year.

Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), the company that holds the 25-year mining permit, estimates that it will take 70 years to excavate all the deposits in Tampakan. Once mining begins, it will become the largest copper mine in the Philippines; but as it stands idle, Tampakan remains the largest undeveloped copper-gold site in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

It's also the second large-scale mining project whose permit has lapsed since the passage of the Philippines' Mining Act of 1995, but the first to be granted an extension, which will keep it running until March 12, 2032, when it will become eligible for another extension.

The initial extension was signed in 2016, under the administration of then-President Benigno Aquino III, on the grounds that the miner hadn't been able to develop the site due to "acts or circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the contractor."

Opposed from the get-go

Tampakan's sheer scale birthed major opposition from the beginning. The mine falls within the ancestral domain of the Blaan tribespeople, an estimated 4,000 of whom will be displaced once the excavation begins.

The effects will extend far beyond these 4,000 community members, according to Rene Pamplona of the Convergence of Initiatives for Environmental Justice (CIEJ). "The Tampakan project will affect the biodiversity and territorial integrity of the Blaans' Ancestral Domain that may lead to the demise of its culture and Indigenous way of life," he said in a statement.

SMI has highlighted its efforts to provide social services to the community as part of its obligations under the agreement. The company says it invested 36.7 million pesos ($724,000) in 2018 alone on education, health care, and community infrastructure to provide water and electricity to host communities, among others.

Despite this, opponents say they still fear the mine's adverse impacts not just on the community but also on the environment. Anti-mining groups say the project will pollute the surrounding area's water sources and irrigation, given its proximity to the watersheds of the Catisah Allah, Marbel and Padada rivers. The Tampakan's mine tailings facility will also be constructed near one of the tributaries of the Mal River, one of the biggest river systems on the island of Mindanao. According to a report by the coalition Climate Change Congress of the Philippines, the facility could cause siltation and pollution for farmlands downstream, affecting around 10,000 farmers.

Locals are also wary of mine tailings reaching Lake Buluan and Liguasan Marsh, an 8,000-ha (19,800-acre) key biodiversity wetland.

On top of that, the mining operation's open-pit method will clear around 3,935 ha (9,726 acres) of natural-growth forests and arable lands. This method of mining is allowed under a Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) entered into by the Philippine government with Tampakan's contractors in 1995, as long as it adheres to the country's forestry laws.

Delayed by legal, armed disputes

In issuing the 12-year extension to SMI in 2016, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) cited "force majeure" factors that included "rebellion, insurrection, civil disturbance, blockade, sabotage, any dispute with surface owners, and adverse action."

The initial permit for Tampakan was granted to Australian company Western Mining Corp. (WMC), and was at the center of a major legal battle that reached the Supreme Court in 1997. Anti-mining groups said issuing the permit to a foreign entity breached sovereignty issues under the Philippine Constitution.

As the case dragged on, WMC in 2000 transferred its permit to SMI, a joint venture between Mindanao-based Alsons Prime Investments Corporation, which held a 34 per cent stake, and two foreign mining companies. Alsons later bought out the stakes of the other two, and by 2017 the Tampakan mining company is "100 per cent Filipino," according to a factsheet from the MGB. By then, the Supreme Court had upheld the legality of the Tampakan mining permit, although it had yet to resolve the fiscal sharing scheme of the project, Maderazo said.

Opposition to the mine didn't manifest just in court. The site has seen numerous armed clashes between the military, deployed to the area in 2008 at the request of both tribal councils and local governments, and protesters. By 2013, civil unrest on the ground had resulted in a series of deaths, among them of tribal council leader Anteng Freay of the Bong Mal community. From 2010 to 2015, 10 people were killed, including an Italian missionary.

SMI, however, characterized the clashes as being part of the "long and complex history of conflict in Mindanao associated with tribal customs, clan rivalries and religious and political insurgencies that predate the involvement of SMI in this region," according to a letter dated September 2013.

Legal quandary

SMI's study of the site found that open-pit mining is the most feasible method of extracting its deposits. It's also among the strongest reasons why it's being opposed. To date, the company is at odds with the provincial government of South Cotabato, which in 2010 passed an environmental code banning open-pit mining.

The company questioned the code and filed a legal challenge in 2012 that remains pending in regional court. "SMI claims that the province implemented the open-pit mining ban to impede their operations but the environment code doesn't ban mining - it's just not allowing open-pit mining," Maderazo said. "Legally, the code has the presumption of validity. It's up to SMI to prove that the provincial ordinance is unconstitutional."

Mongabay reached out to SMI for comment, but the company did not respond by the time of publication.

The ongoing saga at Tampakan highlights a recurring legal quandary vexing the Philippine mining industry and its 25-year-old mining law: the legitimacy of open-pit mining. While it's a method allowed under the mining law, President Rodrigo Duterte has vehemently opposed this method of extraction since he took office in 2016; in 2017 he imposed a nationwide ban on the practice.

Yet despite the ban, the fate of open-pit mining remains unclear, Maderazo said, as there have been no supporting mechanisms to uphold the ban, leaving the debate to play out in the courts.

Similarly, it's hard to gauge the administration's position on mining. SMI's Tampakan project was among those suspended in 2017 for alleged environmental violations, yet Duterte's office lifted the suspension late last year and SMI has since expressed plans to begin excavation.

This story was published with permission from

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Indigenous groups continue fight against newly-revived Philippine mine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For more than two decades, anti-mining groups and indigenous communities in the southern Philippines have opposed a massive mining project there, blocking it both in the courts and on the ground. The permit was set to end on March 12 this year - but before the detractors could rejoice, they learned it had won a 12-year extension, issued three years ago but only made public last October.

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URL: https://news.mongabay.com/2021/11/illegal-mining-threatens-indigenous-land-at-foot-of-philippines-tallest-peak/
TITLE:  Illegal mining threatens Indigenous land at foot of Philippines’ tallest peak

AUTHOR:
Bong S. Sarmiento
DATE PUBLISHED:
November 20, 2021
KEY INFO:
An illegal mine was discovered in a protected indigenous area in Mt. Apo. Reports say that the tribe leaders within the area have already declined requests to mine their land due to the damage it does to the ecosystem and watershed they depend on.

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Illegal mining threatens Indigenous land at foot of Philippines' tallest peak

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MINDANAO, Philippines - Mount Apo, a protected area on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, is threatened by small-scale illegal mining, which remains a lingering problem elsewhere in the resource-rich Southeast Asian nation. Famous for being the tallest peak in the Philippines, at 3,143 meters (10,312 feet), Mt.

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://youtu.be/wy_EKB6Kd-A
TITLE: Minahan sa ilang lugar sa Mindanao, inireklamo.
AUTHOR:
TV Patrol
DATE PUBLISHED:
February 1, 2017
KEY INFO:
Dagsa ang reklamo ng mga komunidad sa paligid ng mga minahan sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao nang nagtungo doon ang kalihim ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources para inspeksyunin ang mga minahan sa lugar.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TV Patrol: Minahan sa ilang lugar sa Mindanao, inirereklamo

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/de2c08a0b1cd4d08a4f7e728adc0c22e
TITLE: Mining on Indigenous Territories in the Philippines

AUTHOR:
Sarah Bear
DATE PUBLISHED:
August 17, 2020
KEY INFO:
The mining in the Philippines has led to detrimental effects on the country's environment along with threats to indigenous land. This can be the start of the loss of indigenous culture within the country.

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Mining on Indigenous Territories in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Geological features, environmental, and socioeconomic impacts on the indigenous population of the Philippines.

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URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/philippines-mining-idUSL4N0XA0Y720150413
TITLE: Philippines clamps down on illegal miners, gold smugglers

AUTHOR:
Reuters Staff
DATE PUBLISHED:
APRIL 13, 2015
KEY INFO:
MANILA, April 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines is tightening oversight of the roughly 300,000 small-scale miners in the country as it looks to curb illegal mining and gold smuggling, as well as to protect the environment, a government official said on Monday.

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8. Non-government Organization or Academic Institution

# data[].attributes.subject
8. Non-government Organization or Academic Institution

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://atenews.ph/tabora-slams-mining-in-ph-says-it-does-not-help-common-good
TITLE: Tabora slams mining in PH, says it does not help common good.

AUTHOR:
Ryar Caasi
DATE PUBLISHED:
October 22, 2020
KEY INFO:
Expressing his opposition to the Tampakan Mining Project in South Cotabato, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) President Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ on a virtual Pakighinabi last Tuesday urged people “to protect the country from mining” and stressed that mining will destroy Mindanao’s biodiversity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tabora slams mining in PH, says it does not help common good

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Expressing his opposition to the Tampakan Mining Project in South Cotabato, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) President Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ on a virtual

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.ibon.org/15-biggest-mining-operations-in-mindanao/
TITLE: 15 Biggest Mining Operations in Mindanao

AUTHOR:
Alias "superadmin"
DATE PUBLISHED:
August 11, 2018
KEY INFO:
The infographic details the 15 biggest mining operations in Mindanao, many of which have been subject to controversy and are under fire for their policies that are bordering illegal, and for the environmental damage they inflict.

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/workshop_IPPE_cpp.doc

TITLE: Case Study on the Impacts of Mining and Dams on the Environment and Indigenous Peoples in Benguet, Cordillera, Philippines

AUTHOR: CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE
DATE PUBLISHED: August 27-29, 2007
KEY INFO:

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=684591062912161&id=101889637848976
TITLE: RESPONSIBLE MINING THEY SAY.

DAVAO ORIENTAL BEAUTIFUL NO MORE.

AUTHOR:
97.5 Spirit FM - Mati City, Davao Oriental
DATE PUBLISHED:
January 15, 2022
KEY INFO:
A Chinese mining company, caused the discoloration of two the rivers in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental.

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URL: https://anthempress.com/regional-and-area-studies/books/mining-and-natural-hazard-vulnerability-in-the-philippines-pb
TITLE: Mining and Natural Hazard Vulnerability in the Philippines: Digging to Development or Digging to Disaster?

AUTHOR:
William N. Holden & R. Daniel Jacobson
DATE PUBLISHED:
October 2013
KEY INFO:
This book explores the relationship between natural hazards and mining in the Philippines, including Mindanao. It shows studies on how natural hazards can amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The archipelago of the Philippines is well endowed in nonferrous mineral resources such as copper, gold, lead, silver, nickel, and zinc. In recent years, the government of the Philippines, acting under the influence of the dominant and seemingly ubiquitous neoliberal development paradigm, has liberalized its mining laws to encourage the extraction of minerals by foreign corporations in order to accelerate the development of the economy. The Philippines is also a nation highly prone to a variety of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons, and El Niño-induced droughts.

Nonferrous metals mining is an activity with a substantial potential for environmental degradation, and these various natural hazards have a high potential to adversely interact with mining's potential for environmental degradation. Earthquakes can destabilize tailings storage facilities, typhoons can flood tailings ponds, and mine-pit dewatering can enhance the competition for groundwater resources during droughts. This study show how natural hazards can amplify the environmental harm prevalent in mining and pose a substantial threat to the livelihoods of archipelago's poor, who are dependent upon subsistence agriculture and subsistence aquaculture.

"This text provides an exhaustive and engaging review of the literature surrounding issues of development in the Philippines. Holden and Jacobson leave no stone unturned as they uncover some of the most detrimental effects of modern mining practices on the surrounding natural environment and the human communities." -Professor Kathleen Nadeau, California State University, San Bernardino

"This book speaks well of mining disasters that are accelerated and amplified by natural hazards in the Philippines such as typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. I recommend this superb work to the general public and readers with a specific interest in mining, especially those with similar situations in their own countries." -Dr Emelina Regis, Director of the Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research, Ateneo de Naga University

"Empirically grounded and theoretically informed, Holden and Jacobson provide a compelling and powerful study of the hazards of neoliberalism and of environmental politics more broadly." -Dr James Tyner, Professor of Geography, Kent State University

William N. Holden is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and an inactive member of the Law Society of Alberta.

R. Daniel Jacobson is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and a Switzer Research Fellow.

Anthem Environmental Studies

Acknowledgments; List of Tables and Figures; List of Acronyms; Introduction; Chapter One: Mining in the Philippines; Chapter Two: Government Efforts to Encourage Mining; Chapter Three: Environmental Effects of Mining; Chapter Four: Mining amid Natural Hazards; Chapter Five: Technocratic Responses to the Risks; Chapter Six: Risk Society in the Philippines; Chapter Seven: Mining as a Flawed Development Paradigm; Chapter Eight: Is Another World Possible?; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index

No Podcasts for this title.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
mining and natural hazard vulnerability in the philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mining and Natural Hazard Vulnerability in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The archipelago of the Philippines is well endowed in nonferrous mineral resources such as copper, gold, lead, silver, nickel, and zinc. In recent years, the government of the Philippines, acting under the influence of the dominant and seemingly ubiquitous neoliberal development paradigm, has liberalized its mining laws to encourage the extraction of minerals by foreign corporations in order to accelerate the development of the economy.

# data[].attributes.body
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ1TthRwMaI
TITLE: Illegal gold mines in the Philippines | DW Documentary.

AUTHOR:
DW Documentary
DATE PUBLISHED:
September 25, 2021
KEY INFO:
In the past, the mineral trade flourished in the small Philippine coastal town of Paracale. Today, it is riddled with gold prospectors. The illegal gold business brings in an estimated $700 million a year. A dirty industry, it has shaped the town and the lives of residents for decades. Now, there are hardly any other ways to earn a living there.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Illegal gold mines in the Philippines | DW Documentary

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URL: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/amp/philippines-examines-mining-operations-after-landslide-deaths/4581793.html?
TITLE: Philippines Examines Mining Operations after Landslide Deaths

AUTHOR:
VOA NEWS
DATE PUBLISHED:
September 21, 2018
KEY INFO:
Philippine officials said the landslide affected an area where a gold mine was operating illegally. Illegal mining can weaken hillsides, increasing the chance of landslides, they said. People living near the gold mine ignored warnings from police and disaster officials to leave the area before the storm hit.

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Philippine officials are calling for a review of mining activities in the country's mountains.

The investigation was ordered after two deadly landslides struck hillside communities where mines were operating.

Both landslides came after a powerful storm hit the Philippines on September 15. Officials say Typhoon Mangkhut killed more than 80 people nationwide.

The first landslide was in the northern mining town of Itogon. It happened shortly after the typhoon struck. The Itogon landslide buried about 60 people, most of them miners and their family members.

Philippine officials said the landslide affected an area where a gold mine was operating illegally. Illegal mining can weaken hillsides, increasing the chance of landslides, they said. People living near the gold mine ignored warnings from police and disaster officials to leave the area before the storm hit.

A second landslide struck in the central province of Cebu on September 20. It affected two villages, burying 30 homes. Local officials said more than 20 people were killed. The area was near several mining operations.

The typhoon did not reach Cebu, but caused heavy rain across much of the Philippines.

After the first tragedy, Environmental Secretary Roy Cimatu said the government would begin deploying soldiers and police to six mountain provinces. He said the move was aimed at reviewing the safety of mining activities and ending illegal operations.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also called for investigations into the dangers of mining.

"We have a problem with the mining industry," Duterte said in a statement on his official website. "It has not contributed anything substantial to the national economy."

The president added that the mining industry was operating "uncontrolled" and had hurt the economy. "That mining thing has really contributed a lot of heartaches for the Filipino people," he said.

Antonio Contreras is a political scientist at De La Salle University in the Philippines. He says the government had learned from earlier disasters how to better prepare for powerful storms. This time, he said, officials were "very ready" and took more "systematic" steps to get people out of dangerous areas before the typhoon.

About 150,000 people were already in temporary shelters when Typhoon Mangkhut hit. Officials say this helped to keep the number of deaths low. Five years ago, a powerful typhoon killed 6,200 in the Philippines.

Contreras says most of the criticism after the storm has been directed at the nation's mining industry. Some people have blamed mining operations for causing openings on hillsides that may have caused the landslides after heavy rains.

Herman Kraft is a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Manila. He says he thinks the government should have done a better job enforcing orders for people to leave.

There should be a point "where you don't give them any choice anymore," Kraft said.

On the mining issue, Kraft said Duterte and others are seeking an investigation into how mining operations are affecting local communities. "The question that's being raised now is the extent to which mining companies have actually undermined the land," he said.

I'm Bryan Lynn.
Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted his report for Learning English, with additional material from the Associated Press and other sources. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

review - n. an investigation or study

contribute - v. give something in order to provide or achieve something together with other people

heartache - n. extreme sadness

extent - n. the size or importance of something

undermine - v. make someone less confident or make something weaker

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Philippines Examines Mining Operations after Landslide Deaths

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Philippine officials are calling for a review of mining activities in the country's mountains. The investigation was ordered after two deadly landslides struck hillside communities where mines were operating. Both landslides came after a powerful storm hit the Philippines on September 15. Officials say Typhoon Mangkhut killed more than 80 people nationwide.

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15. Public Service Message or Promotional Video

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15. Public Service Message or Promotional Video

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URL: https://youtu.be/ITlsoo5Gl5c
TITLE: Golden Gamble. Gold mining in the Philippines, a dirty business

AUTHOR:
RT Documentary
DATE PUBLISHED:
May 5, 2017
KEY INFO:
The Philippines’ town of Paracale was dubbed “Goldtown” for its rich deposits of the precious metal. Despite government attempts to regulate mining, illegal pits are still commonplace. They lack even the most basic health and safety and workers are exposed to toxic mercury fumes. Dirty water causes skin diseases and they live with the constant threat of being buried alive. Workers continue to take these risks day after day, because there is no other source of income. Many of the gold miners are children whose families can’t afford to send them to school.

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Golden Gamble. Gold mining in the Philippines, a dirty business

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URL: https://youtu.be/lQxK-5yJLzA
TITLE: A Glance At The Philippine Mining Industry

AUTHOR:
Mines and Geosciences Bureau DENR
DATE PUBLISHED:
Sep 26, 2019
KEY INFO:
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau is committed in adhering to the principle of inter-generational responsibility in the exploration and utilization of our mineral wealth and the preservation and protection of the country's biodiversity.

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A Glance At The Philippine Mining Industry

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJaZUK8uf98
TITLE: The CEAP 2022 Election Engagement: Webinar on Mining

AUTHOR:
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines
DATE PUBLISHED:
October 27, 2021
KEY INFO:
This webinar, wherein AdDU President Fr. Joel Tabora is a speaker, takes a close look at the mining industry not just in Mindanao, but in the Philippines as a whole. It also looks into the environmental costs of mining and its adverse effects on land.

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The CEAP 2022 Election Engagement: Webinar on Mining

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URL: http://scihiiiiiii.blogspot.com/p/pag-asang-tinabunan.html
TITLE: Pag-asang Tinabunan
AUTHOR:
Unknown
DATE PUBLISHED:
Unknown
KEY INFO:
This poster aims to reflect the situation in the Philippines involving mining. It reflects the environmental effects it can cause wherein unsuspecting citizens become victims of the greed of miners. As miners continue to gain wealth, nearby communities are more at risk of disasters such as landslides.

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URL: https://scontent.fmnl8-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.18169-9/11134009_1640678516169257_7939893373316277720_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=ba80b0&_nc_eui2=AeE_sUZFwr1zzn0W2UgKhkSZlBq8wgexT8mUGrzCB7FPyb7BJGhrFShheGPyZRB2Gb0X_ITfSJAVOGEFrxi1fw66&_nc_ohc=Glx9pnFqarIAX9FxqZV&_nc_ht=scontent.fmnl8-2.fna&oh=00_AT-6esZD5NhkMcLJb9eM-IRz25sD1a_w0DUjVPnHv5DtwQ&oe=6213E1BC
TITLE: Meme
AUTHOR:
Mining memes
DATE PUBLISHED:
April 29, 2015
KEY INFO:
When a new hire, Trains a new hire.

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URL: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobalvoices.org%2F2015%2F11%2F03%2Fthese-paintings-depict-the-indigenous-peoples-struggle-against-exploitation-in-the-philippines%2F&psig=AOvVaw3AFDmlU8z907T0rVtCsv98&ust=1643126351390000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMCNmJbiyvUCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD
TITLE: Land Grab
AUTHOR:
Federico Boyd Sulapas Dominguez
DATE PUBLISHED:
November 1, 2015
KEY INFO:
Shows the efforts of indigenous peoples to combat destructive mining, development aggression, and militarization.