PIA Press Release
2008/04/22
By Mai Gevera
Davao City (22 April) -- Davao Oriental governor Corazon Malanyaon is now rushing the finalization of the province's environment code, seen to be need in allowing the mining industry to thrive in Davao Oriental.
During the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo held Thursday at the Governor's Mansion, the official bared that she is now seriously instructing her composite team to work on the said code.
"This is needed to caution the impact of an active mining industry in the province," she said. The provincial governor admitted that mineral resources like nickel, copper, chromite, manganese and gold are all the assets of Davao Oriental.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) recently reported that out of the 80,000 tenements in the country, 30,000 of the total number are in Davao Oriental.
The province, she said, is so blessed to have these resources that the government cannot afford to simply disregard this particular industry.
However, what the province would rather embark on is to strengthen the regulation of mining activities in the province.
"We are now focusing on looking for ways to generate more revenues out of mining, regulate these activities, and most especially sustain the ecology," Malanayaon explained.
The said official also brushed off talks that the province is now trying to project an image that excels in mining.
"We are not exerting much effort in promoting mining because it is one industry that you don't have to promote it to the people. Instead, investors just arrive and they have seen themselves the potential in Davao Oriental," she said.
Instead of attracting more people to benefit from the mineral-rich province, Malanyaon rather wanted to protect the values of the people.
"I don't want to encourage the people to practice their quick-rich attitude. Instead, I want them to maximize land utilization and not just concentrate on mining activities," she said. (PIA)
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