Mining has helped the Philippines improve its economy by providing jobs for the unemployed, restoring the mining sites into good conditions and could also generate large income if done responsibly. Instead of completely opposing mining, which may lead to neglecting all benefits we Filipinos can get from it, those who are against it should focus on promoting responsible mining. The high demand for mineral sources nowadays is due to the rapid economic growth of developing markets. The mineral demands of the world need to be sustained. But with the mineral demands exceeding the supply, prices of minerals such as copper, gold, and nickel have risen to as much as $2,000. For this reason, a lot of companies invest in mining. Mining and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has stated that the Philippines is top five in the world in terms of mineral reserves. That is why many mining companies have decided to invest in our mining industry because they see that the Philippines have the potential to build world-class mines. However, due to some negative effects of mining in our natural environment, anti-mining groups began to form. They argue that mining is not really helping the Filipinos but it is only destroying our environment – nothing more. They fail to consider the good things that the mining industry has done for our country.
Mining has earned a bad reputation in the Philippines due to some accidents that have happened in the past and in present. The Marinduque mining disaster mentioned in the article is one of the most devastating accidents in the mining history of the Philippines. The memories of toxic wastes being discharged to the Boac River still gives the residents nightmares. However, that was no more than an accident. The accident of one mining company cannot be used as a generalization that the mining industry only has negative effects to our environment. That accident in Marinduque was under the Marcopper Mining Corporation and they are now making amends to that accident.