A bill banning the export of black sand and its derivatives in its raw form to other countries hurdled committee level at the House of Representatives.
The House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. approved the substitute bill to House Bill 6321 or the proposed Black Sand Processing Act.
Under the bill, black sand mining or trading entities may only export processed products or raw materials that have undergone advanced processing.
“The Philippines is one of the major sources of black sand, which is being exported to other countries in its raw form.”
Probinsyano Ako party-list Representative Jose Singson Jr., author of the bill, said the Philippines is one of the major sources of black sand, which is being exported to other countries in its raw form.
Singson noted that the many industrial uses for the materials produced from black sand mining results in a massive international demand, which in turn results in high profits for those engaged in black sand mining.
“The importation of these processed products is very costly, while the raw materials used for these products were exported from the Philippines at a very cheap price.”
The legislator said the importation of these processed products is very costly, while the raw materials used for these products were exported from the Philippines at a very cheap price.
“The country is also losing potential revenues as these expensive processed products could have been processed locally, generating jobs in the locality from where they are mined, not to mention lowering the price for these high-value products as we would no longer need to import the same,” the lawmaker stressed.
The bill would require black sand mining companies, either individually or collectively, to institute, build, or lease advanced processing plants for magnetite within the province where they are conducting actual mining operations of magnetite.
