Are you against mining?

[pyramid00]

Many so called ‘environmentalists’ say that mining destroys our planet.

Have you ever wondered what the world would look like if mankind had not discovered mining? Visualize all the objects you see in your kitchen/dining room, such as a wall clock, spoons and forks, rice cooker, washing machine, refrigerator, etc. Suppose all these objects are not there, what do we have? Well, almost nothing. In fact, you would not be reading this thread if mining was not ‘invented’.

Mayor Duterte, when asked if he is against mining, replied; “I would invite the mining companies who are using the best technology such as the Australians and New Zealanders’. This goes to show that our modern world will not exist as it is now if we don’t mine our God-given resources. Mining is a necessary evil. Consider a gun owner, you do not tell him that he should not own a gun because he will tell you that he is a RESPONSIBLE gun enthusiast. The word ‘anti-mining’ had been abused. ‘Anti-everything?’

We cannot live happily on our planet without mining. Therefore, it is imperative that we use the words ‘responsible mining’ or whatever is proper instead of the dirty word ‘anti-mining’.

[yebo]

against mining IF THE ORE IS JUST GOING TO BE EXPORTED ABROAD. when ore is exported the only beneficiaries are the mine owners and the foreign countries that import the ore.

they should not export raw ore. it has to be processed in the country. this way it employs the most number of people and generate the most taxes for the country. why export ore when you can export inggots? why export inggots when you can export billets, beams, plates, sheets, wires? why export plates and beams when you can export ships?

sa copper na lang ang tagal na nila nagma-mining. ni hindi man lang nila naisip na magtayo ng plant to produce copper wires! then instead of just exporting copper wires why not export finished automotive and aircraft wiring harnesses!? more value added, more benefits for the country and its people!

kaso quick money lang nasa isip e!

[1D4LV]

against mining IF THE ORE IS JUST GOING TO BE EXPORTED ABROAD. when ore is exported the only beneficiaries are the mine owners and the foreign countries that import the ore.

they should not export raw ore. it has to be processed in the country. this way it employs the most number of people and generate the most taxes for the country. why export ore when you can export inggots? why export inggots when you can export billets, beams, plates, sheets, wires? why export plates and beams when you can export ships?

sa copper na lang ang tagal na nila nagma-mining. ni hindi man lang nila naisip na magtayo ng plant to produce copper wires! then instead of just exporting copper wires why not export finished automotive and aircraft wiring harnesses!? more value added, more benefits for the country and its people!

kaso quick money lang nasa isip e!

+100000.
mining should be made wherein the outputs of the natural resource should benefit the country, not the principals.
and it should be properly controlled as such.

[Ry_Tower]

against mining IF THE ORE IS JUST GOING TO BE EXPORTED ABROAD. when ore is exported the only beneficiaries are the mine owners and the foreign countries that import the ore.

they should not export raw ore. it has to be processed in the country. this way it employs the most number of people and generate the most taxes for the country. why export ore when you can export inggots? why export inggots when you can export billets, beams, plates, sheets, wires? why export plates and beams when you can export ships?

sa copper na lang ang tagal na nila nagma-mining. ni hindi man lang nila naisip na magtayo ng plant to produce copper wires! then instead of just exporting copper wires why not export finished automotive and aircraft wiring harnesses!? more value added, more benefits for the country and its people!

kaso quick money lang nasa isip e!

Good point. Kaso nga usually raw ore ang ine-export noh?

[niky]

Lots of dimension to it. Weak regulation. Lack of willpower on the part of the government to support the sector. Lack of incentives for business owners and investors. Poor investment climate...

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Simply mining gives very little benefit. Suppliers of raw materials do not make the biggest net profit. It's the refiners who do.

[1D4LV]

Good point. Kaso nga usually raw ore ang ine-export noh?

as what yebo said. it should be processed in the country.
the government should invest on that, or enter into a PPP wherein everything should be processed here.

resources natin, iba ang yumayaman.
kung baga, binili sa atin ng piso, binebenta ng sampung piso.

[Altis6453]

Lots of dimension to it. Weak regulation. Lack of willpower on the part of the government to support the sector. Lack of incentives for business owners and investors. Poor investment climate...

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Simply mining gives very little benefit. Suppliers of raw materials do not make the biggest net profit. It's the refiners who do.

Add to that the inordinate amount of opposition from the Catholic Church on mining. I don't even know why they have a stake or say in it.

[machine.pistol]

Here's my take on mining here:

A number of mineralized areas actually sit under forested zones. So it's quite difficult to balance the interest of mining against preserving our first cover. The obvious solution there is tunneling. But it's costlier and more risky than open pit. It might make sense to allow open pit in non-forested areas.

Whether tunneling or open pit is chosen as mode of extracting ore, the same must be closely regulated.

LGUs must not be given power or authorized to regulate mining as what they are going with respect to artisanal or small scale mining. They are not doing small scale there because miners actually employ heavy equipment.

With small scale mining, there is way too many to regulate (just like LTFRB regulating thousands of jeepney operators as compared to regulating just a few bus companies).

Small scale miners use child labor and cyanide to extract minerals from ores. They don't have dams to leech cyanide from water before discharging to waste water to streams and rivers.

Small scale miners don't sell gold to the BSP as required by law. They are too numerous to be regulated.

Small scale miners put up and support private armies. They make or break politicians.

It's costly to conduct mining in the Philippines. Mining companies have to build and maintain roads and bridges so they can transport ore. They have to build ports close to the mine site. They also have to employ a battalion of ex-Army and Marine personnel and arm them to the teeth to ward off threats from the NPA and lawless elements. These are things that must be provided by the government but mining companies end up providing because the government does not care about them. All that the government does is collect revenues from mining. Mining companies in Canada and Australia don't have to do these.

As to requiring mining companies to put up a refining facility, mining companies don't find it viable because of the high cost of electricity. Each mining company would not put up one refining facility. If at all, one refining facility might cater to the outputs of several mining companies to support the volume required. They don't want to end up like PASAR in Isabel, Leyte.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not an apologist for big mining companies here. I just want to share some insights about mining. And from there we can build our informed opinions.

[machine.pistol]

Add to that the inordinate amount of opposition from the Catholic Church on mining. I don't even know why they have a stake or say in it.

You can ask Manny Pangilinan how many shares of stock is owned by the Roman Catholic Church through the Archbishop of Manila in Philex Mining.

[badkuk]

i get that we earn more if we export processed minerals, but won't the processing generate waste/pollution that ends up in our environment? On the other hand the waste material ends up at the importing/ore processing country's land.

dunno if we'll ever be able to do processing, ang mahal ng kuryente natin :confused:


A few years ago, there was this anti mining activist making a lot of noise, particularly against a very prominent local mining firm. The funny thing is that she never mentioned anything about small scale mining at all, puro mga big boys ang target niya. Hmm.....