Being a beneficiary of mining myself, I join the group of Filipinos who believe that mining can seriously help uplift the poverty in our country. One case study we can follow is that of Chile, whose mining industry has helped the country produce a burgeoning middle class - giving the country's economy a chance to grow. Of course, the country has had its share of mining mishaps, the more recent was last year's recovery of trapped miners, but that hasn't deterred the country from continuing the mining operations in the country and the people don't see it as the enemy but as an ally.
I do hope we can also look at mining the same way Chile sees it. The important thing there is that the profits of mining stays with us and does not largely go to the foreign companies who operate them. I am glad that Manny Pangilinan is backing this industry, knowing fully well how way ahead of the curve he is. I am sure, he himself has studied this industry before putting his money in it.
I strongly believe that mining can be done without much hazard to the environment. I remember doing a research study, as a Grade 7 student in Andres Soriano Memorial School - De La Salle, using mining tailings for construction materials. That is one way of using the mining waste as something productive!
I guess the fear of our fellowmen lie mostly in the corruption of our Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the local governments that would lay host to these mining companies. The people who are usually beholden to serve us, normally turn a blind eye when mining mishaps occur - that's why mining has been given such a bad rap.
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