Official: More perks needed to revitalize mineral industry
While the minerals industry has been revitalized with the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, more perks are needed to make it more economically viable and dynamic in Western Visayas, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Leo Van Juguan said.
In an interview with the weekly cable TV program, “Hangpanay” of the Philippine Information Agency, Juguan said among the perks needed is the public acceptance that there can truly be responsible mining, hence, communities must be open to detailed explorations for minerals reserve.
Juguan said the present Mining Act has provisions for environmental protection, social responsibility, including for the protection of indigenous peoples.
More geologists are needed to conduct ongoing mapping and more support for information dissemination on responsible mining and conduct of on-site visitations should also be provided, he said.
Based on the recent geological mapping an exploration works, Juguan said they have identified mineral resources in the region, namely metallic, which consist of gold, copper, pyrite, manganese, chromite and iron.
Region 6 is also rich in non-metallic such as marble, silica, sandstone, white clay, limestone, red-burning clay, guano, phosphate rock, sand and gravel and semi-precious gemstone.
According to estimates, the marble reserve of about 9, 5167, 814,000 cubic meters found in Pandan and Libertad in Antique and Nabas in Aklan has a value of US$565,013,035.000 billion, based on the Bureau of Investments-Department of Trade and Idustry computation.
Records, however, show that majority of the reserve are found within the Northwest Panay Peninsula natural park, proclaimed on April 25, 2002.
“All the other places identified in the different provinces to have mineral resources need further detailed explorations,” Juguan said.
He said there is no full-scale and large explorations or mining activity in the region at present but there are already approved applications and pending ones.
MGB records showed that for the whole country, since the revitalization of the industry, mining has accounted for about 149,000 employees in its large scale mining sector, which can be significantly higher if the industry’s multiplier effect is considered.
For its economic contribution, MGB said, about US$1.4 billion has already been invested in the country, and is expected to reach US$11.3 billion by 2011.*PIA
