Mining and ecotourism co-exist in Claver
CLAVER, Surigao del Norte: The local government has proven over time that mining and ecotourism can co-exist in mineral-rich communities.
For several decades, this mining town had heavily relied on mining as its major income source, allowing it to leapfrog from sixth-class local government unit in 2001 to a second-class municipality, Mayor Georgia Gokiangkee said.
Further, Claver was also awarded the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance in 2016, 2017, and 2021 where the preservation and protection of the environment is one of the 10 core areas of governance that must be hurdled by aspiring local governments to be given the said prestigious recognition.
The mayor said the municipality is proud to have the little Maldives in an islet that serves as one of the town’s major tourist attractions aside from having a potential world-class dive site near a marine protected area and a mine site.
Under the local government’s environment code, mining companies are mandated to adopt and maintain marine protected areas to help sustain the good state of the environment within the locality aside from the firms’ contribution to reforestation and other environmental preservation and protection programs of the government.
Through the years, she claimed that the local government had not been dependent on its internal revenue allotment (IRA) from the national government because of the significant increase in its local revenues triggered by the operation of three nickel mines and a mineral processing plant.
The local chief executive stipulated that the town’s IRA is more than P200 million annually, but its locally-generated revenues are roughly more than P600 million and increasing annually because of the operation of various businesses.
Gokiangkee narrated that the local government compelled mining companies to show their commitment to supporting the growth and development of their host communities by providing for the needs of the people in the said areas, especially since the said places are inhabited by members of the vulnerable sectors of the society who need long-term interventions to improve their living condition.