Today marks three decades since the passage of the Mining Act of 1995
- Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center
- Mar 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 4
Today marks three decades since the passage of the Mining Act of 1995. The unjust, inequitable, and unconstitutional provisions of this mining policy framework have led to the widespread encroachment of mining tenements into key biodiversity areas, watersheds, and indigenous territories—while the majority of our mineral wealth is exported wholesale, leaving crumbs for the Filipino people in the process.
This entrenched policy framework makes every mining deal in the Philippines a losing proposition for the nation—most especially the recently announced Maharlika Investment Fund loan to the Makilala Gold-Copper Project in Kalinga.
Consider this: the estimated annual global cost of mining environmental damages is at €5 Trillion or US$ 5.19 trillion per year. Comparing this to the mining industry’s total global capitalization of $737 billion in 2024, we estimate that for every $1.00 of capital spent on mining, there is a resultant $7.00 in damages.
The Maharlika loan thus translates into a potential P31.15-Billion worth of adverse ecological impacts, on top of the potential P4.43 Billion that should have been spent on actual social services and sustainable development needs instead of payrolling for a mining project.
It is time for the Philippines to break away from this self-reinforcing economic and ecological trap. We advocate for the passage of House Bill 11008 or the Alternative Minerals Management Bill (AMMB), which aims to reorient the mining industry away from the current extractivist framework towards an ecologically-sound and needs-based National Industrialization Program.
The AMMB also bolsters environmental regulations through the requirement of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Mitigation Plan, which includes human rights impact assessment, and the creation of Multi-Sectoral Mineral Councils (MSMCs) that ensure a democratized governance of mineral areas.
Sign the Petition to Pass AMMB Here: https://www.lrcksk.org/ammb
Kommentare