Resources Viewpoint February - April 2011 www.philippine-resources.com
Facts vs misinformation
Philippine Resources Mining and Petroleum Journal February - April 2011
Philippine Resources Journal is published independently for executives in the Philippine mining and petroleum industry and associated business sectors. Publisher Elizabeth Galura Charismatic (WA) Pty Limited Consulting Publisher Greg Brimble Consulting Editor Simon Halley Advertising Sales Cora A. Laureano Design/Production Edrick Bruel Contributors Mars Buan Patricia A.O. Bunye Fernando Penarroyo ___ Manila publishing office Paseo de Roxas Bldg, 3rd Floor 111 Paseo de Roxas Legaspi Village Makati, Metro Manila Philippines Phone +632 815 8836 ___ Individual contacts Greg Brimble greg@philippine-resources.com Australia: +614 172 20759 Manila: +63949 338 3664 Simon Halley edit@philippine-resources.com Phone +63917 833 1656 Cora Laureano resources.ads@myPH.com.ph +63928 251 7280
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he past few months have busy ones at the Mines and Geosciences Bureau headquarters in Manila. Normally a peaceful corner of the government’s sprawling Department of Environment and Natural Resources compound in Quezon City, the MGB has been a hive of activity recently. The reason for the buzz is that this is “ground zero” in an escalating battle between the pro-mining lobby and the anti-mining activists. This is not a new battle, of course. But for a while there it looked like a ceasefire would take hold, with the miners pledging to be good corporate, social and environmental citizens and the antiminers keeping their voices down. Then came the murder of outspoken journalist Gerardo Ortega in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. A media frenzy erupted, linking the killing to politics, big business … and to mining, since Ortega was an anti-mining advocate. This also coincided with the launch of the “10 Million Signatures” campaign” by Ortega and the group Bantay Kalikasan, seeking the banning of mining operations. Suddenly the ceasefire was over. Armed with new ammunition, the antiminers – some well-intentioned but others simply greedy – took to the street and the media again. The government was sucked into the fray, starting with President Benigno Aquino at the top and then continuing down the chain of command to DENR chief Ramon Paje and then Leo Jazareno at the MGB. Aquino has to balance national interests, the voting public and commercial realities; Paje has to think about his environmental constituency as well as politics and business; Jazareno is the reality point man, so he and the MGB have been busy getting facts and figures together,
Edrick Bruel luovoolagallina@gmail.com Phone +63905 2684656 ___
trying to sort the facts from the misinformation, and listening to both sides. At one particularly large forum at the MGB headquarters in February, for instance, the cars of the participants overflowed the parkland surrounding the MGB. The forum lasted much longer than expected as mining companies and their lawyers tried to sort out what was really happening in the confusion and conflicting announcements about new mining licenses, possible suspension of open pit mining and other changes in the rules. The so-called “10 Million Signatures” campaign is a classic example of hype vs helpful. People from all over the country, both knowledgeable and not-so-aware, have been getting pass-italong emails urging them to sign up. The email contents are big on emotion, small on facts and logic. But they’re winning signatures. No less than Gina Lopez of the powerful ABS-CBN media and entertainment group joined the fray. Lopez has several commendable environmental causes to her name but she may have let her emotions get in the way this time. In one bizarre incident, ABS-CBN scheduled a forum on mining in Palawan to be broadcast live on “ANC Presents: The Nation Up Close.” Lopez arrived at the studio to find her fellow panelists would be MGB’s Leo Jasareno and Carlo Arcilla of the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences. A spate of unladylike language ensued and the show was abruptly canceled. Commented one person present: “During this dialogue (inside the makeup room), Gina Lopez was asking a lot of questions regarding mining in Palawan (and mining in general), which were answered by director Jasareno and Dr Arcilla, who came very well prepared. Gina Lopez does not have any idea on mining and metals, on tenements and permits, on taxation and foreign investments. She doesn’t even know that her gold dolphin pendant came from mining.” ■
Philippine Resources Journal is printed in Manila by IPrint. Digital online edition www.Philippine-Resources.com
6 Philippine Resources
Philippine Resources consulting editor Simon Halley went to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau headquarters for the recent forum mining forum, trying to sort out what’s really up.
Simon Halley Consulting Editor