Civil Society Opposition to Nonferrous Metals in the Philippines

Since the implementation of the Mining Act of 1995, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) has engaged in efforts to enhance the development of the Philippine economy by encouraging the extraction of nonferrous metals (metals such as copper, gold, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc) by foreign (including Canadian) corporations. Nonferrous metals' mining is an activity with a unique, and substantial, potential for environmental degradation. Dr. Holden's research has examined how concerns about mining's potential environmental effects have lead to the mobilization of that archipelago's vibrant civil society against the government's mining based development paradigm. This has included: protests, litigation, administrative proceedings, and the implementation of mining moratoriums by local government units. This research contributes to the field of "environment and development" and examines various alternative types of "bottom up" development paradigms (such as the Roman Catholic Church's Basic Ecclesial Communities) that serve as an alternative to the "top down" neoliberal development program pursued by the GRP.

Department of Geography Faculty Participants: