The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it will rehabilitate the abandoned Basay Copper Mine in Negros Oriental and six others and turn them into economically-beneficial tourist attractions.

Other abandoned mines identified by the DENR are the Black Mountain Copper Mine, Thanksgiving Mine and Western Minolco Mine in Benguet; Palawan Quick Silver Mine in Palawan; Consolidated Mine in Marinduque and Bagacay Copper Mine in Samar.

Secretary Angelo Reyes said in a press statement that the DENR is pursuing concrete efforts to rehabilitate abandoned mines to make them environmentally safe areas and productive areas. Reyes said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau is conducting an assessment of the abandoned mines to determine the kind of rehabilitation needed and the amount needed for the project.

He said that Bagacay Copper Mines in Samar needs about P25 million for its rehabilitation, the statement added. Mine rehabilitation section chief Geronimo Badulis said in the same statement they aim to finish the rehabilitation plan for seven abandoned mines by 2011.

In the same press statement, Badulis said most of the seven major abandoned mines have been left by their operators about 20 years ago for various reasons, including economic non-viability, labor disputes, negative environmental impact, and social unacceptability.

He said the government is also implementing the "progressive rehabilitation program" in every mining operation under the mining revitalization program. This means that companies are required their rehabilitation plans simultaneous with their operations, the statement added.*

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