International trade transactions in the country is about to reach new heights in the coming years, according to Zambales Governor Amor Deloso.
Deloso foresees a progressive and bullish Philippine economy, as international trade is seen to increase significantly, thanks to the vast and untapped natural resources in the province. These resources include gold, chromite, ore and many more.
The Philippines is the fifth most mineral-rich country in the world for gold, nickel, copper and chromite. It is home to the largest copper-gold deposit in the world. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau estimated that the country had $840 billion worth of untapped mineral wealth, as of 2012.
One province has been the object of interest of mining companies for the past decades – Zambales.
While the province of Zambales, the second largest pin Central Luzon, has always been known as the home of the aetas, a forest-dwelling minority group in the region, it is also home to a variety of mines that are abundantly found in the soil of Zambales.
“Zambales is a very rich province. It has 27 minerals. It might interest you to know that the biggest gold deposits in Asia are in Zambales, and the biggest deposit of chromite in the whole world is in Zambales,” the governor says.
The bold prediction comes at the height of unrelenting negotiations between mining companies and the government.
Deloso says while does not condone irresponsible mining and will never tolerate destruction of the vast natural resources in the province, it is now high time the people of Zambales benefit from mining.
“Mining in Zambales, particularly chromites have been in operation for 90 years. For 90 years mining companies have exploited that aside from the gold in San Marcelinos,” he says.
Deloso says he understands why there is an increased drive in countries to secure greater royalties and equity for communities from mining companies and to examine how the wealth from the mine can be translated into economic opportunities.
The governor says his constituents have nothing to fear as he himself has been critical of illegal and irresponsible mining activities in the region that left several provinces molested and ravaged.
He also approves of President Duterte’s policy directives on mining which include: improving the regulatory functions of the government on mining; investigating and resolving issues concerning security and safety in small-scale mining; addressing the adverse environmental and social impacts of mining, particularly in coastal areas; strengthening regulations on open-pit mining; and strictly implementing the mining law and other environmental laws and regulations to ensure the protection of the environment
“Mining is not bad. It’s good in fact it has benefited almost all industries, you name it. The sad part is a lot of people and organizations earned millions from it but if you asked was there a single Zambaleno who became rich because of it? Did those mining companies build hospitals or schools for the benefit of the people of Zambales.”
“Today I want to correct that. If you want to mine in Zambales, you must build your own plant, and they need to comply with the rules and regulations and most of all it should benefit the people and not damage our resources,” Deloso says.
Aside from copious supply of mines, Zambales also boasts of attractions, festivities, and traditions that can easily lure tourists.
“The people of Zambales can look forward to a productive, progressive, sustainable and state-of-the-art province with a bustling economy that will benefit its people,” says Deloso.