PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III expressed confidence Wednesday that Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II will win this year’s presidential election.
“The Filipino people have already achieved so much in the past five years and seven months, and with partners like you, I am confident that, even as I step down from office, our nation will choose to tread the Straight Path,” Aquino said in a speech at the Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Awards in Malacañang.
“I encourage you all to continue and improve your good work and to continue your fruitful engagement with your communities and the government.”
The awards highlighted the Philippine mineral industry’s commitment to safety, health, environment and social development as an integral part of mineral resources development.
Aquino said making the most of the country’s mineral resources requires a tremendous balancing act.
“None of us here are strangers to the destructive potential of irresponsible and unregulated mining,” Aquino said.
He said the industry knows of the hazards posed to the miners themselves and the surrounding communities and the risks to the water systems and agricultural sector.
He recalled incidents like the Marcopper mining disaster and how mercury from Diwalwal had reached the Davao Gulf.
These days, there is an even greater focus on the industry as it faces the increasing threats brought about by climate change, Aquino said.
The industry could not simply ignore the value of mining under fair and effective government regulation.
Aquino said the Philippines is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world, and it is the government’s responsibility to pave pathways through which Filipinos could benefit from natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner.
“Because as we have pursued a cleaner, safer mining landscape, the companies honored today have worked with us, helping usher in the next progressive era in your industry,” he said.
