Guiuan mayor pushes for responsible mining

GUIUAN, E. SAMAR, Philippines  — Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan of this town said the government should push for responsible mining because it can create opportunities for employment and economic development.

Kwan said her province has always been recognized as one of the mining areas of the country that have high potential for mineral resources needing to be tapped.

“I believe there are economic benefits that responsible mining may bring in to the province. The present mining law (Republic Act 7942) has stringent provisions in ensuring that mining operations should be done in a responsible manner under the principle of sustainable development,” she said.

The mayor said the law has environmental guarantees that ensure the impacts of mining to the environment are fully addressed and mitigated.

When asked about issues against mining based on bad experiences, Kwan agreed that there were no clear-cult measures on mining in the past to avoid dire effects on the environment.

“I fully respect the varied opinions on mining as each has a stake on the environment. The statements may be due to fears and apprehensions of perceived effects mining might have on the environment,” she said, as she backed government’s plan to have balanced policies, taking into consideration the inputs from all sectors.

Kwan however reacted to the bill filed by Rep. Ben Evardone (lone district, E. Samar) declaring the province a “mining-free zone.”

“It is insincerity for (Evardone) to be endorsing bill declaring an area to be mining free. How could one say he is anti-mining when he actually started it here?” Kwan rebutted.

The mayor said that, since 2006 until early 2010, when Evardone was still the governor of Eastern Samar, there were already 130 small-scale mining permits he issued to various mining companies. Of these firms, only 11 have complete records filed at the provincial government, while the rest remained undocumented, she said.

“Based on the records furnished by the Eastern Samar provincial government, Evardone allowed mining operations in the province with the approval of Small-Scale Mining Ordinance No. 13 and successively issued permits thereof. The ordinance has neither been amended nor repealed,” Kwan said.