The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato rallied behind the provincial environment code that bans open pit mining method as the local Catholic Church urged the public to intensify the opposition to the Tampakan copper-gold project now that it has obtained an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
See http://www.mindanews.com/environment/2013/02/20/southcot-board-stays-firm-on-open-pit-mining-ban-critics-hit-approval-of-smis-ecc/.