Philippines lifts four-year-old ban on open pit mining

MANILA, Dec 28 (Reuters) – The Philippines’ environment ministry has issued an order lifting a four-year-old ban on open-pit mining for copper, gold, silver and complex ores, the head of the mines bureau, Wilfredo Moncano, said on Tuesday.

The government imposed the ban in 2017, when the ministry, which oversees the mining industry, was led by an anti-mining advocate who had blamed the sector for extensive environmental damage.

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz
Editing by Ed Davies)

((enrico.delacruz@tr.com))