Mining office yanked from DENR to Arroyo control; Alvarez promoted

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has conferred the Cabinet rank on Heherson Alvarez Jr, chairman of the Philippine Mining Development Corp (PMDC), to ensure efficiency in monitoring the country’s mineral resources, Malacañang announced Sunday. Mrs Arroyo, in issuing Executive Order 665, said the reclassification of the position of PMDC chairman as among those with a Cabinet rank is needed to ensure the objectives of the transfer of the PMDC from the environment department to the Office of the President (OP). EO 665 amended EO 636 issued last July 18, which transferred the PMDC from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the OP "in order to closely monitor and oversee the efficient and effective implementation of the country’s utilization and development of its mineral resources." Mrs Arroyo invoked power to reorganize the administrative structure of the national government and the authority to classify positions. The PMDC is the environment department's corporate arm tasked with exploring, developing, mining, smelting and producing all kinds of mineral deposits and resources. The Kalikasan People's Network for Environment (KPNE), a non-government organization, in a recent statement, opposed the transfer of PMDC to the Office of the President. KPNE said the move was"sudden, hasty and the overarching policy change poses grave implications for environmentalists and mining-affected communities nationwide." KPNE said it suspects that the move would lead to a "plunderous agenda" of mineral resources. The group said Mrs Arroyo will likely give favorable treatment to foreign mining firms because the President is aiming to make the Philippines a world mining leader by 2010. It said the transfer of PMDC into Palace's hands also separates mining projects from more scientific and environmental scrutiny and supervision and creates the danger of a "feverish rush" to seal the clearance of as many projects as possible. "We are sure that the Palace will be putting on undue pressure to approve all of these mining projects with foreign firms," it added. - GMANews.TV