Philippine miners adopt Canada’s mining standards

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) on Tuesday adopted the mining sustainability standards of the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).

COMP chairman Gerard Brimo said the MAC initiative called “Towards Sustainable Mining” (TSM) is the answer to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the industry to follow the responsible mining practices of Australia and Canada.

“President Duterte once said if we follow Australia and Canadian standard, we’re okay ... This is our reply,” Brimo said during the signing ceremony in Pasig City.

COMP is the first association of big mining companies in Southeast Asia to adopt TSM, and the fourth outside of Canada to adopt and implement it.

“Filipinos are good students. I look forward to the day when we become better than the teachers,” said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu, who witnessed the signing ceremony.

MAC president and CEO Pierre Gratton said TSM would help ensure that mining benefits are optimized by the industry while maintaining best practices.

“It is our privilege to share our tools and expertise in sustainable mining practices. We applaud the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines for taking this important step forward as it works to enhance its industry’s environmental and social performance,” Gratton said.

Canadian miners launched TSM in 2004, which requires companies to undergo a yearly performance assessment in the areas of tailings management, community outreach, safety and health, biodiversity conservation, crisis management, and energy use and greenhouse gas emission management.

“The adoption of TSM by the members of the Chamber of Mines is intended to institutionalize practices that secure these contributions for the long terms,” Brimo said. — VDS, GMA News