THERE HAVE BEEN mining companies that have applied for permits nearly 1 year ago and permits have not been granted. I can’t imagine what takes one year to review? Yes, mining has been allowed again, yes also nothing has really moved forward.
I am an investor, and what upsets me is that I have a lot of my money invested there in the Philippines, and nothing happens. Furthermore, when you have terrible floods, you accept foreign aid, meanwhile doing little to help those companies losing money there which would help your economy move forward and build up infrastructure.
You have disrespect for foreign investment while willing to accept foreign aid. The mining bureau is quite irresponsible in every aspect of fulfilling its obligations in a timely fashion.
The government’s good intentions are at an extremely slow pace, and so tell us what the average waiting time for a permit is, 1 or 2 years? This is ridiculous. Seriously, what is the average time for issuing a permit since mining was allowed again? In a modern age when a high-rise can be completed in 10 months, the mining bureau takes up to 2 years to issue a permit. Is there corruption involved, because anything so slow sounds to me like corruption?
The mining bureau needs to be interviewed and reviewed personally and ask them why they are so inefficient with disregard for foreign investment. By such low standards one would think the Philippine Government prefers no jobs and poverty for it’s people. You don’t care about education because you obviously don’t care about jobs. You paint one picture in your news reports, but the international community sees another.
They see and slow and primitive community full of contradictions unable to make the simplest decisions for the benefit of its citizens. The revisions started by the Philippine government on mining are a financial disaster. They could still be implemented while keeping the industry going, but no, they put a stop on everything leading investors in the verge of bankruptcy.
The Philippine government and the mining bureau should be ashamed of placing a con on the world. This is theft. I wrote the bureau of mines last week, but they didn’t write back. You should print my words in your newspaper as the opinion of an investor in mining in the Philippines.
George James Ducas
20