DENR cancels 75 mining contracts
Tampakan loses environmental permit
Atotal of 75 mining companies are now at risk of losing their Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA) it earlier got from the government, while the environmental permit of Southeast Asia's largest undeveloped copper-gold mining project, which is located in South Cotobato, has already been cancelled.
This, as the crusade of Environmental Secretary Gina Lopez against the destructive operations in the mining sector continues without letup.
Amid criticism on her recent decisions, which involves issuing closure and suspension orders to 28 mines, Lopez still proceeded to cancel more mining contracts yesterday.
This time, she cancelled as much as 75 MPSAs as well as the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) of the Tampakan copper-gold mining project.
MPSA are mineral agreement wherein government gets a share in the production of the mining company, whether in kind or in value, as owner of the minerals.
In return, the mining contractor shall provide the necessary financing, technology, management and personnel for the mining project.
Based on Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), there are currently 311 existing MPSAs right now, of which only 96 are operational.
Some of the big mining firms that may lose their MPSAs are: Kingking Mining Corp. (Davao del Norte), Alsons Development and Investment Co., Inc. (Compostela Valley), Silangan Mindanao Mining Co., Inc. (Surigao), Philex Gold Philippines,, Inc. (Surigao and Zamboanga), Vulcan Industrial and Mining Corp. (Negros) and TVI Resources Development Phils. (Zamboanga).
Lopez said these companies will receive show cause orders from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources starting today (Wednesday) and will be given seven days to explain why they can keep their MPSAs.
"We don't want more MPSA (given to mining operations) near watershed," Lopez said in an interview with report- ers. "The MPSAs that are to be cancelled are not yet operational. We are going to cancel it even before they start operating. No one will lose their jobs."
In Davao Region, other companies affected in the MPSA cancellation are King Eagle Exploration and Mining Corp., Dabawenyo Minerals Corp., Phil. Youbang Mining International Corp., Sinophil Mining and Trading Corp., Core Mining Corp., Ore-East Mining Co., Inc., and Napnapan Mineral Resources, Inc.
DENR is also cancelling MPSAs of some mining operations in Dinagat and Surigao, including Bright Green Resources Corp., Pacific Nickel Phils, Inc., Consolidated Ores. Phils., Inc., Phigold Metallic Ore, Inc., East Coast Mineral Resources Co., Inc., Kepha
Mining Exploration Co., North Dinagat Mineral Resources Corp., and Rosario Consolidated Mining Co.
In Zamboanga, companies that are at risk of losing their MPSAs are Siennalyn Gold Mining Corp., Solid North Mineral Corp., Atro Mining-Vitali, Inc., 168 Ferrum Pacific Mining Corp., Geotechniques and Mines, Inc., Roldan Dalman, Peng Cheng Metallic Resources Corp., Maharlika Dragon Mining Corp., and Czarstone Mining Corp.
Five operations based in Zambales are likewise affected in the DENR’s latest order, which includes Shangfil Mining and Trading Corp., San Juanico Resources Corp., Mineral Treasures Mining Corp., Mina Tierra Gracia, Inc., and Westchinamin Corp., while another one is from Negras, namely Selenga Mining Corp.
In Palawan, the DENR is cancelling the government’s mining contracts with Central Palawan Mining and Industrial Corp., Palawan Star Mining Ventures, Inc., Pyramid Hill Mining and Industrial Corp., Macroasia Corp., Lebach Mining Corp., while in Abra, Jabra Corp. may lose two MPSAs.
Other companies to lose MPSAs are GRCO Isulan Mining Corp., South Davao Development Co., Inc., Hard Rock Mineral Trading, Inc., Crescent Mining and Development Corp., Itogon Suyoc Resources, Inc., Macawiwili Gold Mining and Development Company, Inc., Egerton Gold Philippines, Inc., Alumina Mining Philippines, Inc., Bauxite Resources, Inc., Nickelace, Inc., United Philippines and China Mining Corp., Industries Development Corp., Indophil Resources Phils, Inc., Parvisgold, Inc., Plethora Mineral Corp., Pio Castillo, Asia Alstron Mining and Development Corp., Phil Alstron Mining Corp., Aglubang Mining Corp., Alagag Mining Corp., Altai Philippines Mining Corp.
Meanwhile, it was last year when the DENR began running after the $5.9-billion Tampakan project for some environmental concerns. Now, Lopez officially cancelled the ECC of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. for the project, which could have been the largest foreign investment in the country.
Withdrawal of the ECC will prevent any company to continue its operations or its certain projects.
“We are putting at risk the food basket of Mindanao for something that we might not even get,” Lopez said. “We are cancelling it as a gift of love for the people of Cotobato.”
Asked of the possible foregone investments in the mining sector, Lopez said “if they (foreign investors) want to invest and rape the country, I prefer that they go away.”
“They are going to invest here and then 82 percent of the net revenue goes to them and then 95 percent of that 82 percent goes out of the local economy, and then they create massive devastation here, then they should just go somewhere else,” Lopez said.
For its part, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), which comprised some of the country’s biggest miners, said the cancellation of MPSAs only shows the utter lack of regard for due process by the DENR.