Robredo wants 'responsible mining' to flourish, benefit local communities

Aspiring president Vice President Leni Robredo said she will support "responsible mining" if she becomes the president.

During an economic forum on Friday, Jan. 21, Robredo said she is for responsible mining that both protects the environment and benefits local communities when asked if she will allow mining to flourish under her administration.

"I am for responsible mining. We must ensure first and foremost, of course, that the environment will be protected, and that the benefits we gain from mining activities go back to local communities and contribute to holistic national development," Robredo said.

The Vice President emphasized the long-standing issues concerning mining must be addressed through "honest-to-goodness consultation," stressing that the rights of the indigenous people must be respected.

"So, sa akin (for me) an honest-to-goodness consultation with local communities is crucial to ensure that any project that will be rolled out should not just be accepted by the community but should in fact benefit them," she said.

The aspiring president also expressed her intention to certify as urgent the passage of the National Land Use Act, part of which will identify parts of the country which should be declared "no mining zones."

"Most of the advocates are just pushing for reforms in the mining sector--protection of the environment and making sure that the rights of the--it should be rights-based always--the rights of the indigenous people and the local government communities should be taken into consideration first and foremost," Robredo said.

Under the proposed law, a national land-use plan will be created to classify land according to use such as protection, production, settlements development, and infrastructure developments.

Robredo spoke in the “Meet the Presidentiables: Economic Reforms in the New Frontier” organized by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) and other organizations.