A wise decision must be made on whether (1) to lift the open-pit mining ban imposed by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), or (2) to ban open-pit mining in the country altogether. The report that the Mining Industry Coordinating council (MICC), which was created by the Cabinet to study the issue, has already decided to lift the open-pit mining ban has come as startling news to us. It is also well-known in the media that President Duterte himself wants to halt open-pit mining during his administration. He seeks to gather tax revenues from open-pit mining, hence his support for this ghastly rape of our natural world. If he knows what’s good for him, environment Secretary Cimatu will stand on the conservation side, not the exploitation side.

Source: Manila Times October 26, 2017 17:58 UTC