MANILA, Philippines – Environment and mining groups have voiced support for president-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s call for mining companies to “shape up.”
For a country with a rich biodiversity and island ecosystems profile like the Philippines, there is no place for illegal miners and destructive mining practices, said Ysan Castillo, secretary general of Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST). “We are fully behind President Duterte in admonishing firms to practice responsible mining because it is the only way for us to achieve sustainable development,” Castillo added.
In a statement, Michael Toledo, senior vice president for public and regulatory affairs of Philex Mining Corp., one of the country’s oldest and largest mining firms, said they fully support Duterte’s campaign against illegal and irresponsible mining and commit to work with the incoming administration in addressing this problem.
“Surely, we do not want our image and reputation to be tainted by ‘scalawags in the industry’ that operate illegally and irresponsibly,” he added.
Toledo said in its 60 years of operations, Philex has set the benchmark and inspiration for other mining companies to follow as evidenced by its IMS certification, numerous awards on corporate governance and sustainability, as well as active participation in government transparency initiatives.
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