President Rodrigo Duterte has turned friendly towards mining companies as the government continues to look for money to fund its COVID-19 pandemic response.
Duterte on Wednesday (April 14) signed Executive Order 130, which lifts the nine-year-old moratorium on new mining projects.
Executive Order 79 issued by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2012 stated that no new mineral agreements can be signed by the government unless a new law is passed reforming the mining sector.
Duterte, however, said the condition has been satisfied with the signing of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law in 2017, which simply changed the tax duties of private exploration and extraction first from 2% to 4% on mineral and quarry products.
“In addition to ushering significant economic benefits to the country, the mining industry can support various government projects, such as the Build, Build, Build Program, by providing raw materials for the construction and development of other industries; and the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program,” the EO read, adding that mining activities will stimulate “countryside development.”
Duterte added that the DENR already has “additional rules, regulations and policies in place” to enhance environmental safeguards for mining sites.
