PhilExport fears mining crackdown’s impact on jobs, exports, supply chain

THE Philippine Exporters Confederation (PhilExport) is concerned that the directives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) to cancel 75 mining contracts on top of the 23 closure and five suspension orders may have serious economic repercussions affecting jobs, exports and the supply chain.

Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., PhilExport president, said the group is alarmed by the latest order of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez to cancel 75 mining contracts on the heels of an earlier order on February 2 to close 23 operations and suspend five others that DENR deemed destructive to the environment.