Environmental group Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) urged the government to junk the country’s current mining framework and side with communities resisting large-scale operations in several provinces.
In a statement on Earth Day (April 22), ATM said that the Alternative Minerals Management Bill (AMMB) must be prioritized. It called for the repeal of the 1995 Mining Act, arguing that existing policies have failed to protect communities and the environment.
The group also directly called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to act in favor of communities opposing mining operations, particularly those who have mounted barricades in Dupax del Norte in Nueva Vizcaya, Manicani and Homonhon islands in Eastern Samar, MacArthur in Leyte, and Sibuyan Island in Romblon.
“These communities are calling for a halt to mining operations and the cancellation of mining contracts in their respective areas. Earth Day is a timely reminder to the DENR to act on the residents’ demands and to make erring mining companies accountable for their violations and breaches,” said Jaybee Garganera, ATM national coordinator.
ATM maintained that without decisive government action, conflicts between mining firms and host communities will continue to escalate, especially in ecologically sensitive and disaster-prone areas.
Garganera warned that mining activities are compounding the country’s climate vulnerabilities.
“Measures to address the climate crisis and ensure the survival of the planet should include reforms in the government’s policies on large-scale mining. Mining in many communities today is causing environmental degradation, worsening the impacts of climate change, and endangering the lives and livelihoods of the people,” he said.
He stressed that a new law must ensure that the country’s mineral wealth benefits Filipinos, particularly as demand rises with the global shift to renewable energy.
“It is unjust that other countries benefit from our minerals while our communities suffer from the destruction caused by mining,” he added.
ATM said the proposed AMMB would designate “no-go zones” for mining, covering critical watersheds, biodiversity areas, disaster-prone zones, agricultural lands, and forests. It also seeks to strengthen indigenous peoples’ rights and ensure local communities have a decisive voice in mining projects.
“A just energy transition entails replacing the Mining Act with the AMMB. This is a concrete climate action that the government must urgently undertake towards nation-building and the wise and discriminating use of our minerals and natural resources,” Garganera said.