Legislators, environmental advocates and grassroots leaders presented harrowing cases of social and environmental impacts suffered by communities and the environment during the two decades of implementation of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 during a people’s forum held on Thursday at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
These cases, antimining groups said, dispute repeated claims by the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) and other mining industry lobbyists that Philippine mining laws provide a “model” framework for sustainable development through its environment and social safety nets.
“The concrete experiences of affected communities and outcomes of independent investigations debunk the preposterous claim of the JFC and the Aquino administration that the large-scale mining regime in the Philippines are socially responsible and environmentally safe. In the two decades of implementation of the Mining Act, there are already a total of 19 major mine spills—not including the slow but continuous outflow of harmful tailings from the facilities of countless mines across the country—have dispossessed communities of their lands and livelihood, and have caused massive pollution and negative health impacts,” said Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of environmental activist group Kalikasan.
The forum, entitled Pagbawi 2015: communities struggling for land, life and rights was organized by Kalikasan, Defend Patrimony, Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines and other non-governmental organizations.