‭ ame:‬‭Eddie T.

Velasco‬
N
‭Year and Program:‬ ‭AB Psychology 3‬

‭Ge Elect 1‬
‭Lesson 2: Assessment 1‬

‭Instructions:‬
‭Write an 800-word reaction paper on the topic of the article attached to this activity. Make‬
‭sure to discuss the salient points of the article, and how it affects the current status of‬
‭mining in the country, and its effects to the environment. Make sure to use google‬
‭documents in submitting your work.‬

‭https://www.reuters.com/article/philippines-mining-idUSKBN30P0C9?authuser=0‬

‭Philippines Seeks More sites for Critical Minerals in Govt-led Exploration‬

‭As‬ ‭I‬ ‭read‬ ‭the‬ ‭article,‬ ‭I‬ ‭became‬ ‭more‬ ‭aware‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭status‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭government’s‬
i‭ntervention‬ ‭regarding‬ ‭our‬ ‭resources,‬ ‭in‬‭which‬‭I‬‭partly‬‭disagree,‬‭whereas‬‭I‬‭am‬‭alsoquestioning‬
‭the‬‭goal‬‭and‬‭the‬‭authority‬‭of‬‭the‬‭government‬‭in‬‭protecting‬‭our‬‭environment.‬‭Where‬‭I‬‭believe‬‭that‬
‭the‬‭concept‬‭of‬‭their‬‭plan‬‭might‬‭actually‬‭bring‬‭our‬‭economy‬‭into‬‭rise‬‭but‬‭could‬‭also‬‭take‬‭down‬‭our‬
‭resources‬ ‭into‬ ‭extinction.‬ ‭Though‬ ‭their‬‭purpose‬‭of‬‭this‬‭project‬‭sounds‬‭good,‬‭they‬‭have‬‭elicited‬
‭their‬ ‭concern‬‭which‬‭is‬‭to‬‭elevate‬‭our‬‭economy‬‭through‬‭the‬‭use‬‭of‬‭our‬‭available‬‭and‬‭untouched‬
‭mineral‬‭resources,‬‭but‬‭what‬‭makes‬‭me‬‭suspective‬‭of‬‭this‬‭idea‬‭is‬‭how‬‭they‬‭twist‬‭their‬‭main‬‭goal‬
‭into‬‭somewhat‬‭“government‬‭recognition”‬‭and‬‭“investors‬‭catching”,‬‭as‬‭if‬‭this‬‭is‬‭only‬‭a‬‭propaganda‬
‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭capitalist‬ ‭sector‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭government‬ ‭officials.‬ ‭A‬ ‭scheme‬ ‭that‬ ‭must‬ ‭be‬ ‭observed‬ ‭and‬
‭reprimanded.‬

‭I‬ ‭listed‬ ‭some‬ ‭salient‬ ‭points‬ ‭and‬ ‭integrated‬ ‭them‬ ‭into‬ ‭my‬ ‭own‬ ‭judgment.‬ ‭First‬ ‭off,‬ ‭they‬
‭ entioned‬‭that‬‭they‬‭are‬‭after‬‭in‬‭supporting‬‭the‬‭local‬‭mining‬‭industry‬‭which‬‭is‬‭good‬‭as‬‭it‬‭will‬‭help‬
m
‭our‬ ‭country‬ ‭to‬ ‭revitalize‬ ‭our‬ ‭underdeveloped‬ ‭mining‬ ‭sectors‬ ‭and‬ ‭to‬ ‭utilize‬ ‭our‬ ‭own‬ ‭resources‬
‭without‬ ‭the‬ ‭need‬ ‭of‬ ‭exportation‬ ‭from‬ ‭other‬ ‭countries‬ ‭in‬ ‭sustaining‬ ‭our‬ ‭local‬ ‭commodities,‬ ‭but‬
‭only‬‭with‬‭proper‬‭and‬‭careful‬‭regulations‬‭that‬‭is‬‭provided‬‭by‬‭the‬‭government.‬‭Secondly,‬‭they‬‭have‬
‭decided‬ ‭to‬ ‭remove‬ ‭restrictive‬ ‭mining‬ ‭policies,‬‭such‬‭as‬‭open‬‭pit-mining‬‭that‬‭can‬‭be‬‭probable‬‭to‬
‭occur‬‭again‬‭in‬‭our‬‭country,‬‭that‬‭this‬‭idea‬‭of‬‭unrestriction‬‭is‬‭not‬‭right‬‭and‬‭a‬‭huge‬‭stepback‬‭to‬‭our‬
‭environment's‬‭security.‬‭They‬‭also‬‭would‬‭like‬‭to‬‭implement‬‭new‬‭regulations‬‭to‬‭suffice‬‭their‬‭plan’s‬
‭execution;‬ ‭a‬ ‭questionable‬ ‭move‬ ‭from‬ ‭the‬ ‭Department‬ ‭of‬ ‭Natural‬ ‭Resources‬ ‭—‬ ‭made‬ ‭me‬ ‭to‬
‭think,‬ ‭what‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭measure‬ ‭and‬ ‭extent‬ ‭of‬ ‭these‬ ‭ideas,‬ ‭does‬ ‭it‬ ‭include‬ ‭the‬ ‭welfare‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬
‭environment or solely to the economy and mining industry?‬

‭Through‬ ‭this‬ ‭article,‬ ‭I‬ ‭also‬ ‭learned‬ ‭about‬ ‭our‬ ‭mineral‬ ‭resources,‬ ‭like‬ ‭what‬ ‭kind‬ ‭of‬
‭ inerals‬ ‭are‬ ‭abundant‬ ‭and‬ ‭available‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭country,‬ ‭where‬ ‭these‬ ‭minerals‬ ‭were‬ ‭distributed‬
m
‭mostly,‬‭and‬‭how‬‭valuable‬‭are‬‭these‬‭to‬‭the‬‭market‬‭and‬‭economy.‬‭I‬‭can‬‭see‬‭why‬‭the‬‭government‬
 i‭s‬‭eager‬‭to‬‭grasp‬‭this‬‭information‬‭and‬‭opportunity,‬‭they‬‭perceive‬‭this‬‭idea‬‭is‬‭a‬‭good‬‭investment.‬
‭A‬‭resource‬‭they‬‭can‬‭tap‬‭and‬‭harvest,‬‭a‬‭treasure‬‭they‬‭must‬‭hunt,‬‭and‬‭a‬‭new‬‭found‬‭resource‬‭they‬
‭can‬‭exploit‬‭again.‬‭Before,‬ ‭we‬‭have‬‭witnessed‬ ‭already‬‭such‬‭concept,‬‭first‬‭they‬‭will‬‭persuade‬‭the‬
‭people‬ ‭to‬ ‭support‬ ‭the‬ ‭idea‬ ‭by‬ ‭using‬ ‭corresponding‬ ‭“economic‬ ‭issues”‬ ‭that‬ ‭their‬‭idea‬‭can‬‭only‬
‭provide‬‭solution‬‭to‬‭the‬‭problem,‬‭then‬‭after‬‭the‬‭years‬‭they‬‭worked‬‭their‬‭plans,‬‭another‬‭and‬‭bigger‬
‭problem‬‭is‬‭will‬‭occur‬‭due‬‭to‬‭their‬‭incompetencies‬‭and‬‭corruptive‬‭behaviors.‬‭I‬‭believe‬‭approving‬
‭these‬‭new‬‭proposals‬‭is‬‭another‬‭risk‬‭and‬‭a‬‭poor‬‭construct‬‭of‬‭ideas;‬‭which‬‭is‬‭possible‬‭for‬‭another‬
‭government frustration.‬

‭I‬ ‭am‬ ‭hoping‬ ‭that‬ ‭over‬ ‭all‬ ‭these‬ ‭ideas‬ ‭and‬ ‭plans,‬ ‭the‬ ‭welfare‬ ‭of‬ ‭our‬ ‭non-sustainable‬
r‭ esources‬ ‭will‬ ‭be‬ ‭consumed‬ ‭and‬ ‭distributed‬ ‭properly.‬ ‭The‬ ‭mining‬ ‭procedures‬ ‭that‬ ‭will‬ ‭be‬
‭conducted‬ ‭must‬ ‭consider‬ ‭environmental‬ ‭consequences‬ ‭it‬ ‭may‬ ‭cause‬ ‭or‬ ‭bring,‬ ‭also‬ ‭the‬
‭authorities‬‭have‬‭to‬‭be‬‭mindful‬‭even‬‭in‬‭the‬‭extraction‬‭of‬‭minerals‬‭and‬‭in‬‭the‬‭disposal‬‭of‬‭wastes.‬
‭They‬ ‭must‬ ‭not‬ ‭destroy‬ ‭and‬ ‭disrupt‬ ‭the‬ ‭biodiversity‬ ‭surrounding‬ ‭the‬ ‭area‬ ‭and‬ ‭in‬ ‭any‬ ‭possible‬
‭ways‬ ‭they‬ ‭must‬ ‭avoid‬ ‭inflicting‬ ‭damages‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭environment.‬ ‭If‬ ‭by‬ ‭any‬ ‭chance‬ ‭there‬ ‭are‬
‭casualties,‬‭they‬‭must‬‭control‬‭and‬‭replenish‬‭the‬‭effects‬‭after‬‭the‬‭project‬‭is‬‭completed.‬‭Along‬‭with‬
‭these,‬ ‭the‬ ‭authorities‬‭must‬‭plan‬‭concretely‬‭and‬‭have‬‭an‬‭integrative‬‭approach‬‭to‬‭this‬‭project,‬‭in‬
‭which‬‭they‬‭must‬‭comply‬‭with‬‭mining‬‭regulations‬‭that‬‭will‬‭actually‬‭help‬‭the‬‭environment,‬‭and‬‭they‬
‭must‬ ‭always‬ ‭practice‬ ‭ethical‬ ‭considerations‬ ‭that‬ ‭are‬ ‭relevant‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭sake‬ ‭and‬ ‭welfare‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬
‭environment.‬

‭I‬ ‭now‬ ‭realize‬ ‭why‬ ‭it‬ ‭is‬‭important‬‭to‬‭become‬‭knowledgeable‬‭about‬‭our‬‭environment‬‭and‬

‭ vailable‬‭resources.‬‭That‬‭in‬‭order‬‭to‬‭fully‬‭understand‬‭how‬‭we‬‭humans‬‭managed‬‭to‬‭survive‬‭and‬
a
‭conquer‬ ‭the‬ ‭world,‬ ‭we‬ ‭must‬ ‭acknowledge‬ ‭the‬ ‭resources‬ ‭we‬ ‭consumed‬ ‭to‬ ‭suffice‬ ‭the‬
‭commodities‬ ‭in‬ ‭our‬ ‭journey.‬ ‭Not‬ ‭just‬ ‭an‬ ‭awareness‬ ‭of‬ ‭these‬ ‭things‬ ‭but‬ ‭to‬ ‭truly‬ ‭engage‬ ‭in‬
‭conservation‬‭and‬‭give‬‭our‬‭extensive‬‭protection‬‭to‬‭make‬‭these‬‭resources‬‭available‬‭until‬‭the‬‭new‬
‭generations‬ ‭take‬ ‭over.‬ ‭We‬ ‭are‬ ‭responsible‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭environment‬ ‭and‬ ‭always‬ ‭have‬ ‭been.‬ ‭What‬
‭makes‬ ‭humans‬ ‭irresponsible‬ ‭towards‬ ‭the‬ ‭consumption‬ ‭of‬ ‭resources‬ ‭is‬ ‭greed‬ ‭and‬‭negligence,‬
‭where‬‭we‬‭take‬‭the‬‭things‬‭we‬‭need‬‭for‬‭survival‬‭but‬‭we‬‭do‬‭not‬‭contribute‬‭for‬‭its‬‭sustainability,‬‭that‬
‭all‬‭through‬‭the‬‭years‬‭the‬‭resources‬‭are‬‭now‬‭scarce‬‭and‬‭limited,‬‭we‬‭failed‬‭to‬‭plan‬‭ahead‬‭for‬‭the‬
‭future‬‭and‬‭now‬‭we‬‭are‬‭receiving‬‭the‬‭consequences.‬‭One‬‭thing‬‭is‬‭global‬‭warming,‬‭the‬‭hard‬‭and‬
‭irreversible‬ ‭effects‬ ‭of‬ ‭climate‬ ‭change‬ ‭is‬ ‭manifesting‬ ‭over‬ ‭the‬‭earth,‬‭and‬‭this‬‭is‬‭also‬‭a‬‭result‬‭of‬
‭our conducts.‬

‭What‬‭I‬‭can‬‭conclude‬‭from‬‭the‬‭stance‬‭of‬‭the‬‭government‬‭and‬‭the‬‭DENR‬‭in‬‭their‬‭projects‬
i‭s‬‭that‬‭the‬‭mineral‬‭resources‬‭exploration‬‭can‬‭not‬‭totally‬‭lead‬‭to‬‭success‬‭but‬‭can‬‭actually‬‭result‬‭in‬
‭another‬ ‭exploitation.‬ ‭It‬ ‭will‬ ‭not‬ ‭be‬ ‭good‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭environment‬ ‭and‬ ‭economy‬ ‭as‬ ‭well,‬ ‭and‬ ‭if‬ ‭not‬
‭handled‬ ‭properly‬ ‭and‬ ‭if‬ ‭utilized‬ ‭by‬ ‭wicked‬ ‭capitalists‬ ‭in‬‭the‬‭country‬‭—‬‭these‬‭will‬‭be‬‭a‬‭risk‬‭and‬
‭another failure to expect.‬