Review mining act, Senator Legarda urges

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Loren Legarda on Friday called for a moratorium on the issuance of new mining permits pending the release of President Aquino’s policy statement on mining.

Legarda also called for a study by the Senate of possible amendments to the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (Republic Act No. 7942) amid disagreements over the exploitation of the country’s untapped mineral wealth estimated to be worth at least US$840 billion.

“What we must do is revisit the Mining Act and the policies of the government. What I understand from (Environmental) Secretary Ramon Paje is that Malacañang will no longer issue an executive order (on mining), but only a policy statement on whether we need to enact a new law as mentioned by Congressman Teddy Casiño, or repeal the mining act,” said Legarda, who is chair of both the Senate committee on climate change and the congressional oversight committee on climate change.

“In the meantime, the country should have a new moratorium on the issuance of mining permits, and  assist those who have been given permits because the law must be retroactive,” the senator said during a break in the workshop on “Effective Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation”  at the Quezon City Hall.

Legarda initiated the workshop which was the first regional gathering of national and local government officials in Metro Manila aimed at tackling the science, impact and policy responses on disasters and climate-induced hazards. The senator plans to hold similar workshops in other regions to “facilitate the integration of disaster mitigation in local development plans.”