Philippines set to keep open pit mining ban as Duterte rejects call to lift itMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine environment minister said on Wednesday that a ban on new open pit mining in the country would remain in place, with President Rodrigo Duterte rejecting government panel recommendations to reverse it. The ban, implemented by former environment minister Regina Lopez from April covers new projects including the $5.9-billion copper-gold Tampakan project in southern Mindanao island, the biggest stalled mining venture in the Southeast Asian nation.  The President sets the policy. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will implement what the President deems as best for the country s interest,  Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu told Reuters in a text message. Open pit mining is allowed under the laws of the Southeast Asian country, the world s top nickel ore exporter, where many mines use it to extract minerals. But Lopez said the process ruins the economic potential of places where it is carried out. Duterte said late on Tuesday that he had rejected a recommendation by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban because such mining is  destroying the soil and environment and no corrective measure is immediately (being) implemented . He added that while mining brings  good profit , he  can let it go . The comments by the firebrand leader followed an announcement on Monday by his spokesman that Duterte had not reversed the ban. The MICC, an inter-agency panel that makes recommendations on mining policy, is chaired by Cimatu and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez. Cimatu said last month that he supported the removal of the open pit ban and that his agency would strengthen regulations to prevent any excesses by miners. The ban would further halt development of the Tampakan project in the southern South Cotabato province. The project was first stopped after South Cotabato banned open-pit mining in 2010, and operator Glencore Plc quit the project five years later. Lopez, who stepped down in May after failing to win congressional confirmation after 10 months in office, has said the project would cover an area the size of 700 soccer fields in what otherwise would be agricultural land. Also covered by the ban is the $1.2 billion Silangan copper and gold mine in Mindanao by Philippine miner Philex Mining Corp. worldnews
philippines set keep open pit mining ban duterte rejects call lift manila reuters the philippine environment minister said wednesday ban new open pit mining country would remain place president rodrigo duterte rejecting government panel recommendations reverse the ban implemented former environment minister regina lopez april covers new projects including tampabay project southern mindanao island biggest stalled mining venture southeast asian nation the president sets policy the department environment natural resources implement president deems best country interest environment natural resources secretary roy climate told reuters text message open pit mining allowed laws southeast asian country world top nickel ore exporter many mines use extract minerals but lopez said process ruins economic potential places carried duterte said late tuesday rejected recommendation mining industry coordinating council misc lift ban mining destroying soil environment corrective measure immediately implemented he added mining brings good profit let go the comments rebrand leader followed announcement monday spokesman duterte reversed ban the misc panel makes recommendations mining policy chaired climate finance secretary carlos dominguez climate said last month supported removal open pit ban agency would strengthen regulations prevent excesses miners the ban would halt development tampabay project southern south cotabato province the project first stopped south cotabato banned mining operator encore plc quit project five years later lopez stepped may failing win congressional confirmation months office said project would cover area size soccer fields otherwise would agricultural land also covered ban billion silangan copper gold mine mindanao philippine miner while mining worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Philippines set to keep open pit mining ban as Duterte rejects call to lift itMANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine environment minister said on Wednesday that a ban on new open pit mining in the country would remain in place, with President Rodrigo Duterte rejecting government panel recommendations to reverse it. The ban, implemented by former environment minister Regina Lopez from April covers new projects including the $5.9-billion copper-gold Tampakan project in southern Mindanao island, the biggest stalled mining venture in the Southeast Asian nation.  The President sets the policy. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will implement what the President deems as best for the country s interest,  Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu told Reuters in a text message. Open pit mining is allowed under the laws of the Southeast Asian country, the world s top nickel ore exporter, where many mines use it to extract minerals. But Lopez said the process ruins the economic potential of places where it is carried out. Duterte said late on Tuesday that he had rejected a recommendation by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to lift the ban because such mining is  destroying the soil and environment and no corrective measure is immediately (being) implemented . He added that while mining brings  good profit , he  can let it go . The comments by the firebrand leader followed an announcement on Monday by his spokesman that Duterte had not reversed the ban. The MICC, an inter-agency panel that makes recommendations on mining policy, is chaired by Cimatu and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez. Cimatu said last month that he supported the removal of the open pit ban and that his agency would strengthen regulations to prevent any excesses by miners. The ban would further halt development of the Tampakan project in the southern South Cotabato province. The project was first stopped after South Cotabato banned open-pit mining in 2010, and operator Glencore Plc quit the project five years later. Lopez, who stepped down in May after failing to win congressional confirmation after 10 months in office, has said the project would cover an area the size of 700 soccer fields in what otherwise would be agricultural land. Also covered by the ban is the $1.2 billion Silangan copper and gold mine in Mindanao by Philippine miner Philex Mining Corp. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: philippines set keep open pit mining ban duterte rejects call lift manila reuters the philippine environment minister said wednesday ban new open pit mining country would remain place president rodrigo duterte rejecting government panel recommendations reverse the ban implemented former environment minister regina lopez april covers new projects including tampabay project southern mindanao island biggest stalled mining venture southeast asian nation the president sets policy the department environment natural resources implement president deems best country interest environment natural resources secretary roy climate told reuters text message open pit mining allowed laws southeast asian country world top nickel ore exporter many mines use extract minerals but lopez said process ruins economic potential places carried duterte said late tuesday rejected recommendation mining industry coordinating council misc lift ban mining destroying soil environment corrective measure immediately implemented he added mining brings good profit let go the comments rebrand leader followed announcement monday spokesman duterte reversed ban the misc panel makes recommendations mining policy chaired climate finance secretary carlos dominguez climate said last month supported removal open pit ban agency would strengthen regulations prevent excesses miners the ban would halt development tampabay project southern south cotabato province the project first stopped south cotabato banned mining operator encore plc quit project five years later lopez stepped may failing win congressional confirmation months office said project would cover area size soccer fields otherwise would agricultural land also covered ban billion silangan copper gold mine mindanao philippine miner while mining worldnews