Environment Secretary Gina Lopez has promised to strengthen civil society participation in environmental governance, which is guided by the principle of the common good.

Lopez, in her most recent speaking engagement, said that civil society organizations (CSOs) have a critical role to play in ensuring the success of policies and programs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), including the ongoing review of all mining operations in the country.

In fact, Lopez said the CSOs have already started working with the new administration by providing vital information that became the basis for the suspension of abusive and non-compliant mining firms.

"One of the things that I would like to do now is to open up a civic sector arm in the DENR. Before there was a desk, now it should be an arm," Lopez said in her keynote address at the Public Forum on the Environmental Policy Agenda for the Duterte Administration and the 17th Congress held in Quezon City last Friday.

The forum was organized by the Alternative Law Groups (ALG), in cooperation with the Foundation for the Philippine Environment and the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation.

ALG is a coalition of 20 legal resource non-governmental organizations that adhere to the principles and values of alternative or developmental law.

Since Lopez assumed office on July 1, a total of seven mining firms have already been suspended for not complying with environmental safety standards. These are BenguetCorp. Nickel Mines Inc., Eramen Minerals Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc., Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., Hinatuan Mining Corp., Berong Nickel Corp., and Citinickel Mines and Development Corp.

All seven mining firms are operating in Luzon, four in Zambales and three in Palawan. Lopez said more mining companies will be suspended this week when the DENR concludes its mining audit in Mindanao, particularly in Surigao.

At the ALG forum, Lopez assured that she will always consider the common good in all her decisions at the DENR.

"Why were laws made by man? To protect the common good. So the common good is pre-eminent before anything else," Lopez told the audience who are mostly lawyers involved in civic works.

She added: "You know what's right and wrong in your heart. You don't need a law to tell what's right and wrong. You find a law to protect the common good."

With strong determination and the help of CSOs and other partners, Lopez said she is confident the DENR will be able to achieve its commitment for the common good.

"If you have the will, the heart, and if you base this on the non-negotiable stance of integrity, that is a vessel on which higher forces land," Lopez stressed.

"There is nothing in the world that can stand in the way in the people united for a noble cause," she added. ###

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Published: 02 August 2016

The country's metal production dropped 12 percent to P22 billion in the first quarter of 2016 due to persistent soft metal prices in the world market, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported.

The amount is lower by almost P3 billion compared to the P24.98 billion in total metal production value recorded from January to March of 2015, said the bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The MGB report came after the DENR started issuing suspension orders against several mining firms as part of an ongoing audit of all mining operations in the country.

DENR Secretary Gina Lopez even vowed to block the US$5.9-billion Tampakan mine project, the largest copper-gold project in Southeast Asia, if it will operate as an open-pit mine which is highly destructive of the environment.

"I don't really like Tampakan at all. I have to live by my set of principles. And there is no way I would ever, ever, ever allow a 700 football field open pit mine on top of agricultural land," Lopez said.

She added: "It's immoral. For me it's socially unjust to allow business companies to make money and put the lives of all the farmers and indigenous people there at risk."

The Tampakan project, which straddles the provinces of South Cotabato, Saranggani, Sultan and Davao del Sur, has an estimated reserve of 18 million tons of gold and 15 million tons of copper.

According to the MGB, gold had the highest production value of 10.68 billion or 48.34 percent of the country's overall metal output during the first three months of 2016.

The bureau said this was due to the increased gold production of Masbate Gold Project of Filminera Mining Corporation and Philippine Gold Processing and Refining Corporation in Masbate at 1,640 kilograms (kg), and Didipio Gold Project of Oceana Gold Philippines Inc. in Nueva Vizcaya at 1,456 kg.

Direct shipping nickel ore and mixed sulfide, which were consistently on the top of the production list since 2012, slipped to second spot at 31.12 percent or a total production value of P6.88 billion.

The MGB attributed the slow start of nickel ore production to the unfavorable weather condition in Dinagat and Surigao provinces, which are among the top producers of the precious metal.

It noted that 17 of the 12 mining firms operating in those provinces reported zero production during the three-month period. ###

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Published: 01 August 2016

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will hold a two-day summit in Davao City next month to discuss with stakeholders possible solutions to the most pressing environmental problems facing Mindanao today.

The DENR has partnered with the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) for the environmental summit to be held at the campus on August 4. Some 4,000 participants, particularly from the academe, civil society and other stakeholders from across Mindanao’s six regions, are expected to attend the event.

The second day (August 5) will see the DENR work with selected CSO representatives in a strategic planning workshop at the Davao Convention Center.

DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said that the summit and the workshop aim to engage the stakeholders and involve them in the implementation of programs and projects of the department, especially for Mindanao.

‘Participants will know more about the DENR’s programs and understand them better. At the same time, it will be a chance for stakeholders to present ways for us to strengthen program implementation,” Lopez explained.

She added: ‘The most important thing is, everything will be interactive and will allow all stakeholders to foster a closer working relationship. This is also a step for the DENR in embarking towards being more than regulatory, but an activator of change.”

The summit will open with a segment called the "State of the Mindanao Environment Day" or SOMEDay. The forum, to be facilitated by AdDU President Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ, will allow civil society organizations (CSO) to present their concerns and recommendations to the new DENR chief, who is expected to provide her initial feedback.

Simultaneously, a parallel dialogue between the community or other stakeholders and the AdDU students will be held in “Laudato Si Classes” aimed to enrich the environmental consciousness and understanding of the participants.

The two dialogue-forums will be followed by the turnover of the Mindanao Environmental Agenda to Lopez, and the commissioning of all participants as ecological warriors or simply "eco-warriors."

On the second day, some 200 selected CSO representatives will be oriented on the major programs of the DENR. These would serve as the basis for the workshop’s breakout sessions, in preparing action plans to address issues, and coming up with relevant programs and policies.

Participants and visitors will also be able to view an eco-fair exhibit from August 4 to 8 at the Martin Hall. The exhibit will showcase CSO initiatives in promoting environmental protection. #

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Published: 31 July 2016

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez has vowed to take swift and effective action on the Lumad's complaints about destructive mining, illegal logging and other environment-sensitive activities in Mindanao.

"The common good remains my non-negotiable stand. I promise to act on your concerns especially those that directly affect your livelihood and your homes," Lopez told the Lumad during their second meeting on Tuesday at the DENR central office in Quezon City.

The indigenous people (IP) have complained about how destructive mining and illegal logging activities have caused superfluous injury and unnecessary suffering to poor communities in Mindanao.

The Lumad's primary concern is the rampant human rights violations allegedly perpetrated by large mining and logging firms, which they want to be stopped immediately.

The IP group also called for an immediate probe on the disappearance of one of their members, which they claimed was related to the DMCI logging project in Sultan Kudarat.

The group also asked for a halt on the operation or cancellation of the mining permit granted to Sagittarius Mines Inc. that is allegedly conducting open-pit mining in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

Lopez said that if the results of the ongoing mining audit being conducted by the DENR would show that there were indeed violations, she will either suspend the operation or cancel the permits of erring mining firms depending on the gravity of the violation.

"I will not allow people to suffer because these big companies want to do business," Lopez said. "This is beyond my conscience and will not be tolerated by this administration."

On behalf of the Lumad, Pya Macliing Malayao of KATRIBU (Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas) gave Lopez a copy of the "Indigenous People's (IP) Agenda" which lists their demands to the Duterte government on key issues related to the recognition and respect of the collective rights of the IPs to their ancestral land and resources, human rights and social services and development.

It also includes points covered by the mandate of the DENR, including the revision of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Law or NIPAS of 1992; moratorium on the grant of all mining permits; and make mining and logging companies liable for the destruction of natural resources in their areas.

The agenda will be officially submitted to the Office of the President on August 8 as part of the commemoration of the World Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Also present in the meeting were officials of the Environmental Management Bureau and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Lopez first met the Lumad representatives at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila, where they had the chance to air their complaints to the new DENR chief. ###

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Published: 28 July 2016

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Tuesday met with several farmers from Cagayan Valley to listen to their concerns related to the mining activities in the region.

At least 30 representatives from various farmers' groups in Cagayan Province, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya were welcomed by Lopez at the DENR central office in Quezon City.

The meeting lasted for almost two hours and centered on large-scale mining, illegal mining operations, land titling issues and human rights violations.

Each of the farmers had the chance to talk to Lopez and ventilated their grievances against at least two mining companies operating in Region 2 -- OceanaGold and Golden Summit.

After the meeting, Lopez assured the farmers that the DENR will look into the issues and complaints they have against the identified mining firms.

"We will coordinate with authorities and see the rule of law. If these mining companies have violated the law, we will ensure their suspension, revocation of permits or even closure," Lopez said.

The farmers demanded for an immediate halt on the Cagayan Valley operations of OceanaGold, an Australian mining firm, whom they accused of causing water pollution and deforestation in its area of operation, harassing people, and violating human rights.

They also complained about the mining company Golden Summit, which they claimed was operating illegally in Isabela.

Lopez vowed to assist the farmers displaced by mining operations by tapping them for reforestation activities under the government's National Greening Program (NGP).

“We will put money in reforestation and agro-forestry. It is not enough that you plant trees. Ater you plant, you should take care of them. The money will go to the farmers,” added Lopez.

Nueva Vizcaya farmers asked to be included in the NGP.

The DENR chief also promised to act swiftly on the concerns raised by the farmers. As a first step, Lopez said she will discuss the case of OceanaGold with the Australian Ambassador in their upcoming meeting. ###

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Published: 28 July 2016