NO TO MINING

 

Minerals are essential resources that are part of our national patrimony. While necessary for national development and important to the economy, the extraction of the mineral resources must be done judiciously because mineral areas are part and parcel of ecosystems that include forests, watersheds, riverine systems, coastal habitats and communities of people – all of which are intrinsically linked with biodiversity, the environment, food security, livelihoods and survival.

 

Specially now in the era of undeniable climate change, it is our responsibility to make sure that minerals governance do not sabotage efforts to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change and the country’s mitigation efforts, as well as our capability to move towards a low carbon economy. Mining not only is a driver of climate change, but also exacerbates climate disasters band impairs the adaptive capability of our communities. The recent experiences of several provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao vividly exemplify this truth. In addition to cutting down forests and polluting our vulnerable water resources, the current mining industry also highly demands energy use that leads to the use of dirty energy.

 

It should also be underscored that minerals are essentially non-renewable resources; we have an intergenerational responsibility towards its conversation and preservation – mineral extraction should only be done as a last resort out of the utmost necessity and with the least impact on communities and the environment.