In Brief
A plan to lift a ban on open-pit mining in the Philippines has drawn strong opposition from environmental activists, including the country’s Catholic bishops.
Father Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines, said lifting the ban is a “backward step in government policy” to protect the environment.
The government’s Mining Industry Coordinating Council announced it will lift the ban but warned mining laws should be strictly enforced.
Philippine Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said he supports the plan, even expressing hope that the ban will be lifted before the end of the year which would allow the development of some large-scale mining projects including the Tampakan copper and gold mine in the southern Philippines worth over €5 billion.