DENR's Gina Lopez to ban open-pit mining

Environment Secretary Regina Lopez said on Thursday she will ban open-pit mining in the country, part of her months-long crackdown on the sector she believes has caused extensive environmental damage.

"Each open pit is a financial liability for government for life," Lopez told a media briefing. "It kills the economic potential of the place."

Lopez in February ordered the permanent closure of 22 of 41 mines in the world's top nickel ore supplier for environmental breaches

The Cabinet official is signing an administrative order within the day, banning prospective open-pit mining in the country.

"We're banning prospective mines. There's some that want to do a $2 billion mine ... Tama na, we have suffered enough ... As a matter of policy, which is my prerogative as a DENR secretary, we're banning open-pit mining ... prospective," Lopez told reporters in a briefing.

Copies of the unsigned, unnumbered draft administrative order were distributed to reporters. In part, it states that "the use of the open-pit method of mining for the extraction of copper, gold, silver and/or complex ores is hereby prohibited."

"That pit is gonna be there eternally. So who is gonna take care of that? What's gonna happen? it's a financial liability to the government for life," Lopez said.

She said open-pit mining is a "risk to the communities" and "kills the economic potential of the place."

Asked whether the order would require amending the Mining Act, Lopez said it is within the purview of her mandate to implement such order. "I can do it as a matter of policy. It's done already ... I'm doing it now, because I have no idea of what's going to happen on Tuesday," Lopez said.

The Commission on Appointments Committee on Environment and Natural Resources is scheduled to resume hearings on the appointment of Lopez as DENR chief.

Lopez clarified the DENR administrative order would cover mines that are in development stages, not operating sites.

"If you haven't started, no more. Because the ones that are there ay wala kang magawa, nandiyan na. But don't start, 'cause once it starts and we don't have the technology, I find it very scary," Lopez also told reporters after the briefing.

"If they don't make hakot pa, don't start na. If you haven't started, don't start yet. Because the moment you do the open pit, if we don't have the technology, it's there for life. So it's too much of a risk," she added.

Enforcing a ban on open-pit mining is based on the law, according to the Cabinet official.

"It's the mandate of the mining law that you should not do anything which puts at risk the lives of present and future generations. Did you see all those open pits? Did you see we're still suffering 21 years later?" she said.

Asked about economic impact of the order, Lopez said it would allow mining site communities to flourish.

"You know the economic impact here? That means all the areas that has MPSAs for open-pit mining, now all those places can bloom," she said.

"We can do many things there, because they don't have that ... What do you call that sword hanging over your head?  It's a window of economic opportunity for the country.

"And ... well, you know hanggang Tuesday lang ako di ba? So let's see if I last. But if I last, my very determined. Push is to make sure that all these areas in fact become ecological, economic, educational ... Why is gold and silver more important than biodiversity and our people's lives?" Lopez added. — With Reuters/VDS, GMA News