(Delivered by Undersecretary Jim Sampulna)

PUSONG MINERO: THE QUIET HEROES OF THE PANDEMIC

TO OUR ESTEEMED GUESTS, OUR PARTNERS FROM THE MINING AND MINERAL INDUSTRY, COLLEAGUES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL MINERAL INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD-SELECTION COMMITTEE, AND MINING FOREST PROGRAM NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WHO TIRELESSY WORKED WITH US TO MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE, OTHER DELEGATES WHO ARE PHYSICALLY PRESENT HERE WITH US TODAY, AND TO THE PARTICIPANTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHO ARE JOINING US VIRTUALLY FOR THE CULMINATION OF THE 67TH ANNUAL NATIONAL MINE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT CONFEFRENCE (ANMSEC), A PLEASANT AFTERNOON TO ALL OF YOU!

MORE THAN FOUR YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE I FIRST ASSUMED THE POSITION OF DENR SECRETARY IN 2017, YET, I STILL FEEL THE SAME HONOR AND PLEASURE WHENEVER I ADDRESS THIS GROUP OF WELL-ACCOMPLISHED, WELL-MEANINGPROFESSIONALS WHOSE KNOWLEDGE, TALENT, AND ACHIEVEMENTS SHAPED THE MINING INDUSTRY OF THE COUNTRY. YOUR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, AND CONTINUOUS SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR A MINING INDUSTRY THAT IS MORE RESPONSIBLE AND RESILIENT THAN EVER.

THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT IS PUSONG MINERO: THE QUIET HEROES OF THE PANDEMIC. I FIND THIS A VERY FITTING THEME THAT FULLY CAPTURES THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF THE MINING INDUSTRY DURING THESE TRYING TIMES. THIS UNPRECEDENTED HEALTH CRISIS DISRUPTED THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL, AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND FOR A DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIKE OURS, THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE OBSERVED TO BE EVEN MORE IMPACTFULWITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY QUARANTINES IN THE COUNTRY, THE MINERAL INDUSTRY HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO AID THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS EFFORT TO CURB THE SPREAD OF THE DEADLY CORONA VIRUS.

MINING IS AN ECONOMIC BEDROCK IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH PLAYS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN POVERTY REDUCTION, INCLUSIVE GROWTH, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. WITH THE ONSET OF THIS PANDEMIC, ONE MAY EXPECT THAT THE MINING COMPANIES WILL ALSO STOP SUPPORTING THEIR HOST AND NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES, IN AN EFFORT TO MINIMIZE EXPENSES AND TO AVERT OTHER POSSIBLE FINANCIAL INSTABILITIES. HOWEVER, WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED WAS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. DESPITE BEING DIRECTLY HIT BY THE PANDEMIC ITSELF, OUR MINING COMPANIES ROSE TO THE OCCASION AND EXTENDED THEIR HANDS IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WE SAW HOW THE INDUSTRY IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE BY PROVIDING FOR THEIR BASIC NECESSITIES, BY EXTENDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND BY PROCURING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FOR OUR FRONTLINERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN THE HOSPITALS AND OTHER SECTORS.

THIS SELFLESS GENEROUS ACT NO LONGER CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME, AS I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THE DEEP-ROOTED RELATIONSHIP OF THE MINING COMPANIES WITH THE COMMUNITIES. THIS IS REALLY WHAT A PUSONG MINERO IS: A HEART THAT SHARES AND A HEART THAT CARES. THESE ARE THE VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN LONG INGRAINED IN THE CULTURE OF THE MINING INDUSTRY, EXEMPLIFIED BY THE FILIPINO SPIRIT OF OUR DEAR PARTNERS IN THE MINING INDUSTRY: YOU ARE OUR QUIET HEROES DURING THIS PANDEMIC. YOU MAY NOT BE IN THE FRONTLINES DIRECTLY FIGHTING BYSUPPORTING AND PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES. YOU ARE LIFE-SAVERS, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. AND AS YOUR DENR SECRETARY, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR ALL YOUR HARDWORK AND GENEROUS DEEDS DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES.

NOW, ALLOW ME TO HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF THE MINING INDUSTRY DURING THIS PANDEMIC: A TOTAL OF PHP 407.6 MILLION SDMP BUDGET WAS REALIGNED TO SUPPORT THE IMPACT AND NON-IMPACT COMMUNITIES DUE TO COVID-19. OUT OF THIS ALLOCATED BUDGET, PHP 380 MILLION WAS UTILIZED TO PROCURE PPE AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES, AND TO PROCURE GOODS AND SUPPLIES FOR THE SOCIAL AMELIORATION MEASURES IN FAVOR OF THE COMMUNITIES FROM THE TARGET BENEFICIARIES, ALMOST 300,000 FRONTLINERS/INDIVIDUALS AND 1.1 MILLION HOUSEHOLDSWERE SERVED.COMPANIES ALSO CONSTRUCTED NEW FACILITIES (AND HAVE SEEN IT MYSELF IN APEX( AND EVEN REPURPOSED EXISTING ONES TO SERVE AS ISOLATION AND TREATMENT AREAS IN THE COMMUNITIES, COMPLETE WITH ALL NECESSARY MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT IN BATTLING COVID-19. IN ADDITION, TWO (2) MOLECULAR TESTING LABORATORIES WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE REGIONS OF CARAGA AND BICOL, TO AID IN THE EARLY DETECTION AND CONTROL OF THE VIRUS, ANDTO BOOST THE TESTING AND TRACING CAPABILITIES OF THE SAID REGIONS.

THE ISSUANCE OF THE MGB MEMORANDUM RE-ALIGNMENT OF ANNUAL SDMP FUND AND SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS TO PURCHASE THE COVID-19 VACCINE FOR HOST AND NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES, AND EMPLOYEES/WORKERS, RESPECTIVELY, HAS GREATLY HELPED AFFECTED COMMUNITIES, AS IT AUGMENTED THE LOW (VACCINE) SUPPLY IN THE RESPECTIVE LGUS. HIGHER VACCINATION RATES WERE ACHIEVED IN THESE AREAS, RESULTING IN THE COMMUNITIES HAVING A RENEWED SENSE OF PROTECTION AGAINST THE THREAT OF THE VIRUS.

AS A MOVE INTENDED TO SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND HELP THE COUNTRY RECOVER FROM DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. DUTERTE, ON APRIL 14, 2021, SIGNED EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 130, OR AMENDING SECTION 4 OF E.O. NO. 79, INSTITUTIONALIZING AND IMPLEMENTING REFORMS IN THE PHILIPPINE MINING SECTOR, PROVIDING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND RESPONSIBLE MINING IN THE UTILIZATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, EFFECTIVELY LIFTING THE NINE-YEAR MORATORIUM ON NEW MINERAL AGREEMENTS. THE ISSUANCE OF THIS POLICY IS EXPECTED TO BE A KEY DRIVER IN THE COUNTRY’S POST-COVID RECOVERY, BY USHERING IN SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS THROUGH INCREASED DIRECT INVESTMENTS, CREATION OF ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL AREAS, AND SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, SUCH AS THE “BUILD, BUILD, BUILD” PROJECT. THIS IS A BIG STEP CLOSER TO OUR GOAL OF EFFECTIVELY REAPING THE UNTAPPED ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF OUR COUNTRY’S VAST MINERAL ENDOWMENTS.

AS THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO CRAFT POLICIES TO HELP ITS INDUSTRY PARTNERS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET LET THIS CHALLENGING TIMES MOTIVATE YOU TO PERFORM BETTER AND EXCEED YOUR PREVIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. TRULY, THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS NOT ONLY WHOLEHEARTEDLY TAKEN ON THE CHALLENGE SET UPON YOU IN 2018, WHICH IS TO REINVENT MINING, BUT HAS DEFINITELY SUCCEEDED BY PROVIDING BENEFITS FOR GREATER FILIPINO CITIZENS, AND BEING COMPLIANT WITH THE LAWS ON PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

AT THIS POINT, LET ME CONGRATULATE ALL AWARDEES FOR TODAY’S EVENT. THESE AWARDS ARE NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES BUT ARE ACTUAL TESTIMONIES THAT RESPONSIBLE MINING IS INDEED POSSIBLE AND IS STILL ALIVE. IT IS ALSO WORTH MENTIONING THAT FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE THE MOST NUMBER OF AWARDEES EVER, WITH NINE (9) PRESIDENTIAL MINERAL INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD (PMIEA) RECIPIENTS, TWELVE (12) PLATINUM AWARDEES, AND THREE (3) TITANIUM AWARDEES. INDEED, A VERY IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE,

CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE STILL UNDER THE PANDEMIC. MAY YOU CONTINUE TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE AND BE AN INSPIRATION TO YOUR COLLEAGUES TO STRIVE HARDER IN THE PURSUIT OF RESPONSIBLE MINING. I DO EXPECT THAT THE COUNTRY’S FINEST IN THE MINING INDUSTRY WILL ONCE AGAIN BRING HOME THE COVETED ASEAN MINERALS AWARDS, AND WILL AGAIN PUT THE PHILIPPINES IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS A MODEL COUNTRY AMONG THE ASEAN MEMBERS, IT’S A CHALLENGE IN ADVOCATING AND CONSCIENTIOUSLY PRACTICING RESPONSIBLE MINING AS A WAY OF LIFE.

AS I END MY SPEECH, I WOULD LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN BRINGING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGES TO OUR COUNTRY. THROUGHOUT MY TERM AS DENR SECRETARY. MAY YOU CONTINUE TO EMBODY THE IDEALS AND PERFORM THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A REAL HERO EVEN WHEN THIS PANDEMIC IS OVER. MAY YOU ALWAYS BE REMINDED THAT THE FILIPINO WORD FOR HERO, BAYANI, IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD BAYAN, MEANING “COMMUNITY,” AT BILANG BAYANI, KAYO NA MAY PUSONG-MINERO AY INAASAHAN NAMIN NA LAGING UUNAHIN ANG BAYAN BAGO ANG SARILI.

MARAMING SALAMAT AT MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS. MABUHAY KAYO!