PMEA Blog

A short item in this column advocating a total mining ban, as a companion piece to the total logging ban, drew a rejoinder from a mining company, MacroAsia, which operates in Brooke’s Point, Palawan. A multi-sectoral alliance of groups called Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) is seeking a stop to all mining in the country, initially in Palawan. In the spirit of fair play, I am giving the floor to MacroAsia.
“Our mining operations are socially acceptable, environment friendly and economically beneficial to host communities and the government.”
This, in a nutshell, is the summary of the response of MacroAsia both to the column and in a letter to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Ramon N. Santos, vice president for mining operations of MacroAsia Corp., said the mining firm is in fact a contractor of the Philippine government by virtue of an agreement with the DENR signed on Dec. 1, 2005 to develop and operate the country’s mineral resources in Brooke’s Point. Thus, the mining firm is a partner of the government in implementing the policy of revitalizing the large-scale mining industry in the Philippines, Santos said.

Read More…