CHEERIE SUDARIO
February|2009
Have you been to a quarry? An excavation site? Mining site? Never? Well if you are just an verage person minding your own business in your own little world, or perhaps a typical rich kid born with a golden spoon in your mouth and a silver platter on your table, then you definitely do not have any reason to venture in places like that. Let me just tell you then of the goings-on in those places.
Juan de la Cruz owns 7,107 islands with a magnificent bounty of resources. One of the most valued treasures the islands keep which has become a high-earning business is his mining industry. It earns a lot that it can even pay all the debts of his great, great ancestors. But would you believe it that Juan cannot even afford to buy himself the necessary things in life like undergarments? Well, believe it or not, he just simply can’t.
He is just so trusting to give his Uncle Sam a special power of attorney. Now, his wicked uncle, so wicked, was able to convince Juan’s business partners and consultants to push for the Republic Act 7942, the Mining Act of 1995. What happens is that Uncle Sam will have a total access to his lands without giving any due percentage of income to the owner. Worse, local miners are not given the needed financial assistance and insurance, and are instead being made to pay high taxes while Uncle Sam is not.
You might be wondering what’s in it with mining that drives Uncle Sam to encroach Juan’s possessions. Simple: gold, copper, nickel, and other sorts of minerals––things that would certainly beget lots and lots of money…and power, of course.
Right now, it’s not just the inequality towards local miners or the sufferings brought about by man-made disasters and natural calamities that poor Juan is faced with. Will Juan be able to survive his drama in life?
We wanna hear from you. Don’t just sit there, do something. Let’s give a little bit more of what we can. (A tip: write your sentiments on a piece of paper and send it to Malacañang if you’re hopeful that the president responds, or post it on your not-so-famous blog and make it famous.#
February|2009
Have you been to a quarry? An excavation site? Mining site? Never? Well if you are just an verage person minding your own business in your own little world, or perhaps a typical rich kid born with a golden spoon in your mouth and a silver platter on your table, then you definitely do not have any reason to venture in places like that. Let me just tell you then of the goings-on in those places.
Juan de la Cruz owns 7,107 islands with a magnificent bounty of resources. One of the most valued treasures the islands keep which has become a high-earning business is his mining industry. It earns a lot that it can even pay all the debts of his great, great ancestors. But would you believe it that Juan cannot even afford to buy himself the necessary things in life like undergarments? Well, believe it or not, he just simply can’t.
He is just so trusting to give his Uncle Sam a special power of attorney. Now, his wicked uncle, so wicked, was able to convince Juan’s business partners and consultants to push for the Republic Act 7942, the Mining Act of 1995. What happens is that Uncle Sam will have a total access to his lands without giving any due percentage of income to the owner. Worse, local miners are not given the needed financial assistance and insurance, and are instead being made to pay high taxes while Uncle Sam is not.
You might be wondering what’s in it with mining that drives Uncle Sam to encroach Juan’s possessions. Simple: gold, copper, nickel, and other sorts of minerals––things that would certainly beget lots and lots of money…and power, of course.
Right now, it’s not just the inequality towards local miners or the sufferings brought about by man-made disasters and natural calamities that poor Juan is faced with. Will Juan be able to survive his drama in life?
We wanna hear from you. Don’t just sit there, do something. Let’s give a little bit more of what we can. (A tip: write your sentiments on a piece of paper and send it to Malacañang if you’re hopeful that the president responds, or post it on your not-so-famous blog and make it famous.#
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