TUCP bucks mining law repeal

The country’s largest labor organization expressed strong objections yesterday to the call of Catholic bishops to repeal the Mining Act of 1995, saying it would result in a massive loss of jobs.

The moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines noted that 10,000 TUCP members alone have been displaced by the closure of many mining firms in the past 10 years.

Despite stern appeals from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to cancel all mining permits to prevent further degradation of the environment, the government continues to market the country’s natural resources to foreign mining investors.

In a speech during an international mining conference in Africa, newly designated Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes gave businessmen and prospective mining investors four reasons why they should invest in the Philippines.

Reyes cited the Philippines’ resources and reserves, its strategic geographical location, the country’s human resources with proper experience and skills, a clear policy environment, and a legal system conducive to business.

“You should invest in the Philippines because of its vast mineral resources,” Reyes told the thousands of delegates from 50 countries to the 10th Indaba Investing in African Mining Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.

According to Reyes, about 420,000 hectares or a mere 1.4 percent of the country’s land area of 30 million hectares are covered under existing mining rights. He said nine million hectares or 30 percent of the entire Philippines are identified to have potential mineral deposits.

“This gives us confidence that we have real prospects and potential for the Philippines’ mining industry,” Reyes stressed.

For the TUCP, the concerns of bishops over the possible damage of mining activities that may cause the environment “can be addressed through responsible mining practices.

“The repeal of (the) Mining Act would bring more people to poverty and will result in more social problems,” TUCP said.

TUCP explained that employing modern technology and strict implementation of mining regulations could mitigate the dangers of environmental damage and disaster.

However, millions of workers and their families will be adversely affected if the government would heed the CBCP’s proposal to cancel all mining permits, the group added.

With the implementation of the Mining Act that allows entry of foreign capital, TUCP said they expect the creation of thousands of jobs in the mining industry as well as downstream industries like chemical, jewelry, construction and transport.

At the mining conference in Cape Town, Reyes admitted the Philippine mining industry has its own share of critics and other “discordant voices in society.” Nonetheless, he assured that “we all unite under the same creed of responsible mining.”

Reyes said the Philippine government has 24 mining projects for the next five years, as he announced a mining mission this May.

“I am inviting you to visit the Philippines. In May, we will be organizing a mining mission to the Philippines for senior executives of African-based mining companies. I have requested our ambassador to liaise with your various organizations,” he said.

Meanwhile, a militant labor group pressed for the immediate granting of a legislated P125 increase in the daily take-home pay of workers nationwide.

Most minimum wage earners are now suffering from hunger and can’t wait much longer for a salary increase, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said yesterday.

“One can only be ignorant or hardhearted not to see the widespread poverty and hunger facing many workers and their families,” KMU spokesman Presto Suyat said.

Suyat cited prices of essential commodities rose by 0.7 percent in January and are expected to increase further with the implementation of the additional two-percent expanded value-added tax.

“Data from the National Statistics Office also showed that the purchasing power of the peso plummeted from P.83 in 2004 to P.77 in 2005 which means that the real value of a worker’s pay is only P212 in Metro Manila,” he noted. — Mayen Jaymalin, Katherine Adraneda, Philippine Star