Mining companies continue to pour substantial investment to make the country’s mineral sector a much safer industry, the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) said on Thursday.
PMSEA, which is holding the 64th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference (ANMSEC) in Baguio City, vowed to further intensify the campaign on responsible mining by highlighting the efforts being done to ensure safety within the industry.
“The general message is in spite of the challenges of the industry, and we are not a perfect industry, we are focused and committed to not only advocate responsible mining but to practice it on the ground,” PMSEA President Louie Sarmiento said.
Over the years miners have transformed themselves, investing billions for technology and world-class designs that could help them mitigate the risks in their operations, he added.
“Because of the technology, experience, and how mine sites are now being designed, companies now know how to mitigate the risks, such as landslide and flooding, in their operations. They are really spending a lot. Right now miners are very much capable of ensuring the safety of the industry,” Sarmiento said.
Moving forward, he expects more miners in the country to step up their operations by tapping the right technology and improving their designs to beyond complying even with global mining standards and guidelines.
“I know Filipinos can do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarmiento assured that mining firms in the Philippines had already gained the expertise of dealing with potential risks of open-pit mining as a method to extract minerals in the country.
This came a day after President Duterte was quoted in news reports saying he is rejecting a Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) recommendation to lift Department Administrative Order 2017-10, which imposes a prospective ban on open-pit mining on gold, copper and silver and complex ores.
According to Sarmiento, “self-regulation” or “self-policing” among miners is something that is already being practiced for a long time now.
“The companies that are responsible, they know when to stop their operations when an incident happens. They sit down with their safety committee together with representatives from the local government unit and the community. For a responsible mining company, when you say self-regulation, even before the regulator comes in they already know what to do,” Sarmiento said.
“I think a number of mining companies in the Philippines are already doing it the right way. Based on my experience, I saw that more companies are now being qualified in the government’s Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Awards [PMIEA]. It used to be very few,” he added.
Hosted by PMSEA, ANMSEC is now being held at Camp John Hay Trade and Cultural Center in Baguio City. The culminating activity in the celebration of ANMSEC is the Testimonial Dinner and Annual Awards Night where winners of this year’s PMIEA will be named.
The theme for this year’s ANMSEC is “Responsible Mining… In the Hearts and Minds of Filipinos.”