Several firms from Australia, Singapore and China have applied for permits to conduct mining explorations in Basay, Oriental Negros, provincial attorney Erwin Vergara said.

He said these companies indicated interest in exploring gold and copper deposits in Basay, a town about 130 kilometers of Dumaguete City.

Vergara said the mining firms may also be interested in exploring iron ore, sulfur and manganese deposits in the towns of Amlan, San Jose, Pamplona and Manjuyod.

The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Mining Act of 1995, and administration of President Gloria Arroyo indicated its willingness to allow these firms to invest in the country, he added. The massive demand for mining products from China and other countries paved the way for mining concessionaires to find potential sites in the Philippines, Vergara said.

He also said a three-day annual Visayan Mining Congress will be hosted by Region 7 on September 6 to 8, to be attended by 200 mayors and governors from Regions 6, 7 and 8. Other attendees are mining executives and Environment and Natural Resources officials headed by Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.*RA

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