The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is prioritizing the rehabilitation of the mined-out areas as well as fixing the sector’s fiscal regime to revive the country’s mining industry, a socioeconomic planning official said on Saturday.

During a media forum in Quezon City, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the recently-launched Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 puts a premium on revitalizing the Philippine mining sector.

“Kasi gusto nga nating mai-revive iyong mining sector, also to do with the, parang support din sa ating renewable energy,” Edillon said.

“Yung mga electric vehicles natin na gusto nating magkaroon ng battery energy storage system na ang malaki pa ang component at nickel, eh marami tayong nickel. So ito iyong nakalagay po ito sa PDP," the NEDA official explained.

NEDA, Edillon said, has also identified mining fiscal regime as a crucial factor in fixing mining governance, in which the government is having a hard time collecting proper taxes.

There seems to be an imbalance in the system as it encourages mined ores to be processed elsewhere, she explained.

“Kasi again, magkaiba iyong fiscal regime, so iyon, so gusto nating ayusin iyon and this will require legislation, pinag-aaralan na rin po iyan,” Edillon noted.

Another area the administration is looking into is correcting the wrong mining practices in the country, as mining companies leave their mining sites without rehabilitating them after years of mineral extraction.

Edillon said the government will incorporate that in the mining governance for the sector to compel mining companies to rehabilitate depleted mining sites.

“Gusto natin magset-aside ng pondo para sa pag-rehabilitate naman, kapag halimbawa mined-out na iyong area. So there has to be those provisions. So, like I said, nasa PDP po ‘yun,” Edillon said.

“Mayroon na rin po naman tayong mga mining firms na responsible mining naman iyong mga practices, so okay din po iyon. Pero ang gusto natin is, you know sa pangkalahatan ayusin natin iyong fiscal regime ” the NEDA official said. Presidential News Desk