The “green vote” campaign by civic groups manifests the loud call for the next administration to approach the issues of environment and economics as one comprehensive agenda, said Prof. Dindo Manhit, president of private think tank ADR Institute on Strategic and International Studies (ADRI).
Renowned Geologist and ADRI trustee Dr. CP David also believes that environmental issues facing the country are complex and will need to be seriously addressed by the candidates.
“Aside from mining, politicians vying for national positions should debate on marine protection forestry, solid-waste management, and, of course, climate change in relation to disaster-risk management.”
Meanwhile, environment advocacy group Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) said the green vote for the upcoming 2016 elections should be about policy reform and not politics.
“A green vote can be the vehicle to force solutions to the environment issues into the election debate and adopted in their platforms,” said lawyer Ysan Castillo, PBEST secretary-general.
“More than discrediting candidates just because of their associations with mining, the green vote should distinguish between the legitimate and highly regulated mining operations and illegal mining. Mining by itself is not bad, but illegal practices and poor regulation resulting in damage to the environment gives a negative image to the industry that has the potential to be an economic game-changer not just on a national but on far-flung local areas with rich mineral deposits,” Castillo said.
For instance, PBEST cited three of the country’s biggest mines that voluntarily submitted their operations to third-party scrutiny last year to assess their compliance with relevant environmental regulations.
The Padcal mine of Philex in Benguet; the mine of Taganito Mining Corp., a Nickel Asia Corp. subsidiary in Surigao del Norte; and the mine of Carmen Copper Corp., Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp.’s subsidiary in Cebu all scored top marks in the PBEST Environmental Performance Tracking Program.
“The environment had never figured prominently in any administration’s agenda,” Manhit lamented. “So, the real task for the next president is determining how to strike a balance between environmental stewardship and development.”
This article was originally posted in Business Mirror.