PAGADIAN CITY, January 25, 2009—The Philippine Government is weak on implementation of the law, Clive Wicks, Vice Chair of the Commission on Environment, Economic and Social Policy of the International Union of Conservation Network (IUCN) told the press here Thursday.

Mr. Wicks said during the media briefing here in the course of the launching of the 273 pages report on “Philippines Mining or Food” written by himself and Robert Goodland.

Wicks said that there are so many considerable laws in the Philippines in relation to the protection of environment and the affected communities, but it has not religiously implemented by the government that cause some troubles to the affected people.

He expressed his opinions and findings that there are some good laws in the country but weak in its implementation when asked by the press people here about his assessment on the law in the Philippines .

Both authors, have recommended to the Philippine Government on their report “to declare mining moratorium, prioritize food production, prevail the Department of Agriculture over Bureau of Mines, suspend the conversion of agricultural land to other uses and revoke the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

The authors have also recommended to the Philippine Government to restructure the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, uphold the right to food and stop human rights abuses, and enforcement of International Standards and Best Practices, and carryout strategic environmental assessments.

“The Philippine Government should restore meaningful environmental and social impact assessment, ensure that there are no double standards, stabilize the livelihood of Indigenous People through reforestations, uphold the right to self-determination and obtain free and prior informed consent,” the authors added.

They were supposed to meet the provincial governor of Zamboanga del Sur, Aurora Cerilles to personally hand the copy of the report and wish to generate comments from the highest official of the province but the governor not was available.

The report has been published by the Working Group on Mining in the Philippines based in United Kingdom which launched at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Pagadian City and participated by about 150 government officials, church and other sectors and environmental advocates from the Zamboanga Peninsula .

The affair was organized by the DIOPIM Committee on Mining Issues (DCMI), a church based committee based in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte.

In 2006, Fr Frank Nally, a Columban Father based in United Kingdom organized a Working Group on Mining in the Philippines that brought some experts to the Philippines , including the Member of Parliament Clare Short.

The MP from UK was shocked on seeing the Philippines which he noted as very beautiful and agricultural country with high rainfall and incidents of earthquake, yet mining is allowed.

The visit of Clare Short had produced a report about the mining in the Philippines that described how mining threatens the food security in the country.

Reportedly, such report believed to be the basis why Fr. Frank Nally was barred by the Philippine Immigration from entering the country in 2007 in conjunction with the APEC summit in Cebu City .

Fr. Nally said that the report in 2007 entitled “Mining in the Philippines ” was a first report of the Working Group, and this “Mining or Food” is the second report being a product of the group’s second visit last year to several significant places affected by mining in the Philippines . (Wendell Talibong)