The Jesuit-run Ateneo de Davao University has said it will step in to help small-scale and artisanal miners in the country who have been neglected by the government. University president Father Joel Tabora, SJ, said the government does not recognize the contributions of small-scale miners and instead favors the large-scale mining industry. "The government should have the decency to help them learn the technicalities of their trade," Tabora said in an announcement made yesterday at the opening of a two-day conference on small-scale mining in Mindanao. He said the university would collaborate with research institutions and other groups to research, develop and distribute technical knowledge. Franco Tito, leader of small-scale miners in the village of Diwalwal, told the conference that the government has done nothing to improve the plight of small-scale miners. Diwalwal, which sits in the Diwata mountain range in Compostela Valley province, is the most popular haven for small-scale miners in the southern Philippines. Tito said miners would have not resorted to protest actions in the past if the government had listened to the people's sentiments. Tabora called on small-scale miners to come together and organize and collaborate with academia. "[We] will be open to ways in collaborating with other technical institutions… so that we can bring technical training and help for small-scale miners," he said. Tabora supported the small-scale miners’ call for the government to introduce innovative ways of extracting precious metals such as gold. “It’s my personal conviction that mining in the Philippines is not legitimate as long as we continue to do mining under the policy framework that we have today.” He said mining in the country "is not responsible" because mining laws favor foreign miners. He said the country's mining policy should be changed to favor Filipinos. Local think-tank Ibon Foundation described the country's mining industry as being "liberalized to global plunderers whose competition has become more intense, plus a government that apparently only hopes to gain from mineral exports." As of mid-2012, the government has approved more than 700 mining tenements, or notification of exploration licenses, covering 1.14 million hectares nationwide – at least 100,000 hectares more since 2010. Related reports

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