BAGUIO CITY – The Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) announced that Baguio City will remain as its home because of the existence of its unique climate, active participation of the mining industry stakeholders and the overwhelming support of the local government to the group’s programs and advocacies.
PMSEA President Engr. Louie Sarmiento said that the local government of Legazpi City, Albay had been bidding for the hosting of the organization’s Annual Mine Safety and Environment Conference (AMSEC) over the past 3 years and it is again expected to bid for the hosting of the 65th gathering of mining industry stakeholders next year.
However, Sarmiento admitted that based on consultations with the members of the organization, most of them prefer to hold their annual gathering in the city because of its unique climate that is a natural pull for people from various parts of the country to take some of their time to visit the city.
PMSEA is a voluntary organization of mining industry stakeholders who share the advocacy of responsible mining considering that mining is a catalyst of growth and development, especially in the host and neighboring communities of the participating mining companies.
Engr. Sarmiento claimed PMSEA was born in the city 64 years ago and that group was able to prove to the critics of the industry that responsible mining can be done, although there are some industry stakeholders who have not adhered to the practice of responsible mining.
“Our members were able to significantly improve in their adherence to policies on responsible mining and we were able to show the people that responsible mining is doable by those who have the heart for the sustained upliftment, preservation and protection of the state of the environment in the mining communities,” Sarmiento stressed.
He assured the concerned local officials that the MSEA will remain committed to pursue the various partnership agreements that it previously signed with the local government for the sustained preservation and protection of the city’s environment and for mining industry stakeholders to be the city’s overall partners in growth and development through the years.
According to him, there had been numerous developments in the mining industry over the past several years and what is important is that the practice of responsible mining by most of the companies had been highlighted in the course of their operations that have benefitted indigenous peoples and indigenous cultural communities in the different parts of the country.
He appealed to the public to understand the mining industry and its overall impact to the development within its host and neighboring communities for them to appreciate whatever the fruits of mining instead of looking at mining in its national context where it only contributes around P70 billion in the government’s revenue generation efforts.
Sarmiento asserted the practice of responsible mining has resulted to the generation of jobs for people in host and neighboring communities, increased economic activities and sources of livelihood in the said places of operation aside from its contribution to the taxes of local governments through various forms.
By Dexter A. See