Last week, the government released a suspension order for two nickel mines in Zambales province. The mines operated by the BenguetCorp Nickel Mines Inc. and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp were suspended due to environmental violations.
Following the nationwide restraint issued by the new mining officials, the government also prevented the issuance of their exploration permits. In an interview, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Director Leo Jasareno said that the suspension is effective until the mining firms followed the conditions set by the agency.
In a separate interview, the new Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Regina Lopez stated that there would be a ban on new mining exploration and a monthlong review of all existing mines in the country will be conducted. Lopez added that out of the forty mining firms operating in the Philippines, she doesn’t know of even just one that followed responsible mining standards.
When asked for a comment, officers from the BenguetCorp Nickel Mines were not readily available, while Zambales Diversified Metals representatives could not be reached.
