AMID keen interest by big firms in the country’s mineral resources, the Philippines Government has stepped into the controversy created by a local government unit’s (LGU) decision to ban open-pit mining in the southern Philippines. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that President Benigno Aquino 3rd already gave the agency the mandate to pursue a compromise solution on the issue.
See http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/business-columns/21454-malacanang-orders-win-win-solution-to-open-pit-mining-row.