TUBA, Benguet—Mining is a major catalyst for countryside development if done with “utmost responsibility” despite reported negative impacts to the environment, Philex Mining Corp. president and chief executive officer Engr. Eulalio B. Austin Jr. said Thursday.
Economic activities in remote villages have greatly improved due to sufficient sources of livelihood provided by the presence of the mines, Austin said in a recent meeting with town officials.
While it is true that mining currently contributes only 0.5 to 0.7 percent to the country’s annual gross domestic product, Austin said the industry contributes in spurring rural development because of the implementation of the social development and management program projects of companies, among other benefits to communities.
Responsible mining operations also provide opportunities for the children to achieve quality basic and higher education, make available reliable health services, generates jobs, and provides livelihood opportunities for miners and the members of their families, he added.
“While it is true that we totally change the status of the land use in the mine site, we are mandated by law to restore the mined-out areas close to their original state for other future productive uses,” Austin stressed.
The Philex executive assured concerned stakeholders that the company “will continue to be an icon of responsible mining” because it has already done it in its Padcal mines and will do the same for upcoming projects in Visayas and Mindanao.
Philex officials and employees have been sensitive to the harmonious working relationship of the company with the inhabitants of the host and neighboring communities. That it is why it has achieved numerous local, regional, national and international citations of being a responsible mining company worthy of emulation, Austin said.
It has also hurdled the stringent requirements of the recent mine audit done by the environment department, he added.
The existing scenario in the country’s mining industry “is disruptive” and yet Philex was able to prove that it can still fully operate in such a situation, “a major characteristic of a responsible mining company,” Austin said.
Philex spent a total of P470 million for its various SDMP projects for its host and neighboring communities over the past ten years, except for the paving of the 18-kilometer Baguio-Philex road that had a total project cost of around P170 million after it was heavily damaged by the July 16, 1990 killer earthquake, he said.
It was also able to pay to the national and local governments over P10 billion in taxes through the years, Austin added, stressing that municipal officials of Tuba have publicly admitted the town would not have be classified as first-class without the presence of Philex because of its enormous share in the taxes the company pays, not only directly to the local government but also to the town’s share of the national wealth tax.