The Significance of Copper in Green Technologies

by Marcelle P. Villegas - March 15, 2023

“The most critical metal required to drive the global electrification and demand for carbon-neutral economies is copper, simply because of its ability to conduct electricity.”

~ Douglas Kirwin

 

During the February 2023 PMEA Monthly Membership Meeting, the keynote speaker for the evening was Geologist, Mr Douglas Kirwin. His topic was about "The Future for Copper: What it means to the Philippines".

Mr Kirwin’s presentation discussed the significance of copper in the development and creation of green technologies. He  also mentioned the challenges that may arise with the increasing demand for copper globally, and how the Philippines can benefit from this. 

 

The Future for Copper in the 21st century

“As the industrialized world rapidly transitions to green energy and zero carbon initiatives, there are major challenges ahead with supply and demand of critical metals to achieve these goals,” he explained.

“Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and biofuels and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.” [1]

“Renewable energy systems are rapidly becoming more efficient and cheaper and their share of total energy consumption is increasing, with a large majority of worldwide newly installed electricity capacity being renewable.”

Mr Kirwin mentioned that a major paradigm shift in the electrification of the world is the rapidly increasing demand and production of electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are considered the key to achieve a sustainable transport sector in the future because they have low to zero carbon emissions, low noise, high efficiency, and flexibility in grid operation and integration.

“The most critical metal required to drive the global electrification and demand for carbon-neutral economies is copper, simply because of its ability to conduct electricity.”

Copper requirements in a decarbonized world: This illustration shows how much copper and other elements are needed to create various forms of clean energy technologies, like electric cars, natural gas, nuclear energy, solar panels / photovoltaic, onshore wind turbine, offshore wind turbines, etc. 

However, Mr Kirwin stated, “Despite increased exploration spend for copper deposits, there has been a lack of recent world-scale discoveries to keep up with growing commodity demand. Exploration and mining companies worldwide face the challenge of finding mineral deposits to support an ever-growing global population.” [1]

“The world’s leading copper producers are unanimous in stating that copper supply growth is expected to peak around 2024, the result of very few projects in the works, and as existing mines are depleted, this is setting up a supply deficit of 10 million tons in 2035.”

“To put this in perspective, this is equivalent of putting a new Escondida (the world’s largest copper mine), into production every year. Obviously, this is very unlikely to happen, and so where are the world’s future copper supplies going to come from?” [1]

 

What it means for the Philippines

With the supply problem that may happen in the future, this is where the Philippines comes in. 

“The Philippines is recognized as having the third largest copper endowment in the world due to its favorable geological location on the Pacific Rim of Fire and the presence of numerous porphyry-related copper-gold districts,” he said.

“There are at least 60 known porphyry copper deposits throughout the Philippines and some examples are shown in Table 1. It is relevant to note that eight of these were past producers and that today there are only three in production, with Didipio being the only deposit developed in the past two decades. Despite this, a number of deposits could be developed within the next five years, including Tampakan, Boyongan, Bayugo, King King and Taysan, as they have drilled out resources.” [1]

 

Table 1. Examples of Porphyry Copper-Gold Deposits in the Philippines

 

“As the inevitable copper demand-supply gap widens exponentially in the coming decades, the Philippines is perfectly positioned to become a major world copper producer. Some key criteria are; there are the number of large deposits that can be brought on line within five years with a very long pipeline for new mines within the next 20 years, many deposits have high gold credits and potential exists for low capex selective underground mining methods. There is also a scenario to greatly increase the capacity of the PASAR smelter to take advantage of greatly increased local concentrate production.” [1]

Aside from copper, Mr Kirwin also mentioned the abundance of nickel in the Philippines. Being the world’s second largest suppler of nickel in the world, the Philippines may tax nickel exports to follow Indonesia’s success. Indonesia is the world’s No. 1 nickel producer in the world. Based on the trends on the global demand for nickel for the past few years, here are some key points:

- Primary nickel demand in stainless steel is projected to increase over 5% this year, reflecting growth in China and North America, along with improved conditions in Europe and Japan.

- Longer term we estimate global nickel demand in stainless will continue to increase at a rate above 4% p.a., predominantly driven by China.

- Activity levels in non-stainless applications are also robust with nickel usage projected to increase over 6% this year.

- Going forward, non-stainless demand growth is forecasted at ca. 4% p.a., with strong contributions from China, India, and the USA.

- Overall, we project solid nickel demand growth at a rate of above 4% p.a. between 2014 and 2019.

 

Conclusion:

- To make this a reality, there needs to be new Government initiatives to attract major investment capital for the mining sector and implementation of industry standard environmental and social policies for responsible development.

- If there is the political vision and direction to revitalize the copper mining sector, the impact on the Philippine economy will be very substantial for decades to come. The time to act is now.

---

Reference:

[1] Kirwin, Douglas (6 Feb. 2023). “The Future for Copper: What it means to the Philippines”. Presentation during the PMEA Monthly Membership Meeting. Manila Elks Club, Makati City

Graphs, tables, and photos – courtesy of Mr Douglas Kirwin

 


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Economist Dr Bernardo M. Villegas on Nickel Mining Sustainability

Last 19th of March 2019, Dr. Bernardo Malvar Villegas was one of the special guest speakers during the Nickel Initiative 2019 Conference which was held at Shangri-La at the Fort in Taguig City. He delivered the Closing Keynote Presentation with the title “Nickel Mining Can Be Sustainable”. His speech mentioned the vital role of the Philippine government and its agencies in helping the local mining industry become successful and sustainable. Additionally, he offered proactive solutions on how University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), through its Centre for Corporate Responsibility, can help the government and the nickel industry in establishing sustainability, policy and structure, training and communication, stakeholder dialogue and measurement and verification systems. Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas is a well-known Filipino writer, professor and economist. During the time of President Corazon Aquino, he was a member of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the Philippine Constitution. Through the years, he has always been an advisor to recent Philippine Presidents. As of 2013, he is the Senior Vice-President at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Dr. Villegas is also the Chairman and Research Director of the Center for Research and Communication, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Makati Business Club (MBC). The MBC is a forum that addresses economic and social policy issues that affect the country’s development. Aside from being a professor at UA&P, Dr. Villegas is also a visiting professor of IESE Business School, a graduate business school of the University of Navarra. IESE is one of the world’s leading business schools with campuses in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, New York and São Paulo. Dr. Villegas is a Certified Public Accountant in the Philippines. He has a degree in Commerce and the Humanities from De La Salle University, both with Summa Cum Laude honours. Dr. Villegas earned his doctorate degree in Economics at the Harvard University. At age 21, he became a teaching fellow at the College of Arts and Sciences in Harvard University. In 1972, he received the TOYM award (Ten Outstanding Young Men). His other awards include those from Fulbright, Johnson Foundation, Asia Foundation and the Instituto de Cultura Hispanica. With all his awards and achievements here and abroad, the 80-year-old professor is considered one of the best economists in the country with his excellence and wisdom in his field and in addressing issues concerning national development. - - - SPEECH OF DR. BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS AT THE NICKEL INITIATIVE 2019 (19 March 2019, Shangri-la at the Fort, BGC, Taguig City, Philippines) “Nickel Mining Can Be Sustainable” by Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas It would not be an overstatement to say that the Philippine mining industry has gone through a self-inflicted environmental and political crisis over the last two or three years. The environmental crisis can be attributed to real damage caused to the Philippine environment by some mining firms that resulted in either suspension or closure of mining operations. The political crisis resulted from decisions made during the early years of the Duterte Administration that exaggerated these violations of rules of sustainable development to the complete disregard of the many positive contributions of the mining industry to income growth, poverty eradication and employment generation. Politics is the art of the possible. It always involves balancing different societal objectives. Some of those who formulated mining policies at the beginning of the present Administration were not able to do the necessary balancing act among conflicting objectives. 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Rapid industrialization and urbanisation in the Asia Pacific region will see an increasing use of nickel-based products in Architecture, building and construction; process engineering, oil, gas, and power; food contact materials; pulp and paper; transport; healthcare; consumer products and water. Nickel is used in myriad products, especially in the ongoing fourth industrial revolution, because of the following qualities: high-melting point; resistance to corrosion and oxidation; highly ductile; alloys readily and can be fully recycled. The last quality gives nickel very high points in sustainability. Researchers at the Centre for Social Responsibility of UA&P has identified the following multiple challenges facing Philippine nickel miners in the coming years: a) First, what was once one of the most liberal mining regimes in Southeast Asia is now subject to a government crackdown that shows no sign of relenting, even with significant changes in leadership. As noted by Amanda Key in an article for Investingnews.com, “For now, one thing is certain: the direction the Philippines goes with its mining policy moving forward will impact the global nickel market.” b) The second challenge is to produce the right type of nickel ore that end-users, such as Chinese companies, will use to produce anything from stainless steel to batteries to electric vehicles. A recent Standard and Poor’s analysis of the global nickel market indicates that most nickel producers started their operations geared toward producing nickel sulphide ores. When these ores became scarce, the market gravitated toward laterite ores that are costlier to extract. c) Finally, local nickel miners have to decide what grade of ore to produce that would make the most profit, given the generally falling prices for the metal in the world market. Mining firms are slowly shifting to shipping medium-grade ores amid declining prices of the usual low-grade nickel ores—ninety percent of which goes to China from the Philippines. Dante Bravo, President of the Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA), remarked in a recent forum: “For the long term, this would mean that some mines might slow down in their production in the coming years depending on the area being mined. The shift would have to make adjustments depending on mineralization.” Despite some of these uncertainties, there is still a mood of optimism among the nickel miners because of the many uses of nickel in such sunrise industries as electronic vehicles, construction, consumer goods, health care and housing. The more enlightened members of the nickel industry, most of them active in the Philippine Nickel Industry Association, have provided a group of researchers in the Centre for Corporate Responsibility of UA&P concrete evidence that sustainability is very high in their priorities as they truly espouse the triple Ps: People, Planet and Profit. As a group, PNIA members have planted over 4.2 million trees in Caraga and Palawan as part of ongoing progressive rehabilitation and reforestation in several mining sites. This initiative is part of the efforts of the nickel miners to offset its mining footprint with a green footprint. The reforestation effort includes planting endemic trees and grass species such as agoho, mahogany, giant bamboo, and narra, as well as fruit-bearing trees like calamansi, cashew, jackfruit, and cacao, among others. Tree planting in vast forest areas can employ numerous rural dwellers who are among the poorest of the poor in the country, including members of indigenous tribes. The increased supply of these fruit products can also help in slowing down inflation as middle-income households increasingly turn to fruits and vegetables for healthier diets. Cash crops such as rubber, coffee, vegetables and herbal plants have also been planted in the mine sites’ respective nurseries. Apart from providing employment to the residents, the program also allows the companies to help their respective host communities by donating seedlings in support of various greening initiatives. This has given birth to an emerging downstream industry, agro-forestry which also focuses on the community’s livelihood beyond mining. The reforestation program is part of the nickel industry’s commitment and contribution to the government’s National Greening Program which aims to revegetate some 1.2 million hectares of “unproductive, denuded, and degraded” forest land nationwide from 2017 to 2022. Thanks to the responsible nickel mining firms who are actively engaging their respective local government units in their operations, there is an ongoing dramatic shift of local government authorities in their attitudes toward mining activities. LGU heads realize that their active participation in the development of the mining industry is essential to sustained mining development. This new position has been reinforced by the fact that there are initiatives to require mining companies to pay directly to local government units (LGUs) in mining areas their 2 percent share of the firms’ gross sales as local business tax. The past practice was for the national government to collect the levy and then distribute this to the LGUs. There is also an increasing participation of local government authorities in getting informed consent of communities prior to the exploration or site investigation and prior to reaching decision on a development, management or concession agreement. There is also a very healthy trend in which nickel mining companies are participating actively in regional economic development. Whereas in the past, the benefits of mining had been very limited to a relatively few areas, leading nickel mining firms are making significant contributions to building strong local economies which are more balanced and dispersed, with greater social equity. Some of them are experimenting with innovative partnership with LGUs and are pursuing different development models. To expand their multiplier effects on a broader regional level, some of the leading mining companies are collaborating with Regional Development Councils to increase the participation of stakeholders in planning and administration and improving the access of marginal groups in mining-impacted communities to resources and opportunities. It must be pointed out again and again that most mineral ores are found in remote and mountainous areas where there are very few sources of livelihood. The legitimate concern for sustainability of the environment must be tempered with the need to address the serious extreme poverty situation in mineral-rich territories. There is no substitute to a tripartite cooperation among the Government, the mining companies and civil society. There is increased evidence that nickel mining companies are investing in the upscaling and empowerment of host communities in partnership with various groups in order to pool resources and capabilities. 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The way forward for the Philippine nickel mining industry is to integrate sustainable and responsible policies and practices in its core business. The current push for voluntary sustainable mechanisms (codes, policies, guidelines), for example, is a positive step towards integrating social responsibility as part of the mining agenda. At present, there are several methods used to incorporate sustainability into the core business of mining enterprises. Among these are: -Industry-specific codes of conduct such as the Chamber of Mines Code of Corporate Social Responsibility. -Company-specific (internal) codes of conduct and policies. -Sustainability guidelines from international institutions such as World Bank disclosure policy, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) -Pressure from civil society. The application of these methods will surely have long-term positive benefits as can be gleaned from the experiences of other mineral-rich countries. These include: -Raising the acceptable threshold for mining industry sustainability performance and standards; -Providing some leverage upon which mining stakeholders can hold companies accountable if a company fails to implement its own code or policy; -Raising awareness of external factors affecting the core business activity and financial viability of mining firms. It is even more important than ever to demonstrate that industry support for sustainability goes beyond mere rhetoric and is translated into concrete action on the ground. The Philippine nickel industry has to counter prevailing perception that supporting sustainability is only a public relations gimmick but really involves a change of priorities. 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In the case of sustainability, the government, or more specifically the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) itself must be strongly committed to the “government case” for pursuing the sustainability agenda. It cannot be achieved by prescription from external agencies. The “government case” has to be built up by a process of dialogue, which in turn means creating or adapting institutional frameworks for discussion, consolation and negotiation. The process by means of which the MGB eventually builds sustainability policies is as important as the policies themselves. Dialogues must be the core in the development of sustainability policy for the nickel mining industry. It must also be kept in mind that “voluntary” sustainability mechanisms are not easy solutions to all mining dilemmas. It is imperative that partnership with non-corporate stakeholders is established to achieve the necessary improvements. These partnerships can yield the following advantages: they can confer greater legitimacy to mining activities because of multi-stakeholder involvement; they can encourage companies to work together to raise the bar of performance; they can allow mining firms to share capacity building costs; and they can allow corporations to address external factors beyond their core business activity. In this regard, a strong link between academe, industry and government can help the “business case” for sustainability. As an example, the University of Asia and the Pacific, through its Centre for Corporate Responsibility, can assist the government and the nickel industry to establish sustainability, policy and structure, training and communication, stakeholder dialogue and measurement and verification systems. The products of such partnership among academe, government and business can come out with the following: -Nickel Industry Sustainability policy and structure. Clear standards and detailed guidelines are needed to ensure that the industry has a “road map” for incorporating sustainability agenda into its operations. With such details, the industry would be able to measure performance consistently and completely to help meet the stakeholders’ expectations. -Training and communication. Training internal staff is needed because of the recognition that sustainability-type programs require a unique set of skills and competencies. On the other hand, because leadership starts at the top, it is essential for top management to consistently communicate sustainability guidelines internally in order to generate awareness and on convey management support for the program. -Stakeholder dialogue. Dialogue and sharing of information with external parties (companies, civil society) is one of the fundamental shifts in recent years in policy making. NGOs, other civil society organisations, and companies often have information otherwise unavailable to companies or governments. In the case of the nickel mining industry, an academic institution like UA&P with strong links to business may be able to help the industry develop guidelines and policies that are not only effective, but also acceptable and credible to all the stakeholders. Monitoring and verification. A research wing or think tank of an academic institution like UA&P may be a more credible institution to effectively assess compliance of nickel mining firms to various voluntary sustainability mechanisms. Because of serious violations of environmental regulations in the past, the mining industry in general continues to face a public that is skeptical of its efforts to respect and protect the environment. The industry may choose to scrutinise sustainability practices of nickel firms in a more transparent manner by inviting external parties, and by issuing public reports on the findings of independent academic or research institutions. There is no question that the Philippine nickel industry is capable of practising responsible and sustainable mining. As discussed above, what is needed is the political will of all the stakeholders concerned to commit themselves to a continuing dialogue on sustainability practices. For comments, my email address is bernardo.villegas@uap.asia. - - - Acknowledgement: Dr. Bernardo Villegas Ms Cleah Nava, Legislative Officer, Senate of the Philippines

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Marcelle P. Villegas - December 24, 2020

Carmen Copper Corp. suspends all mining operations due to recent landslide

21 Dec. 2020 – Landslide at Carmen pit -- A screenshot from the video sent to SunStar Cebu Amid the holiday festivities in Toledo City in Cebu, a sudden tragedy happened last Monday afternoon in a mining pit in Barangay Biga. 21 Dec. 2020, Monday -- Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC) said that the landslide happened at around 4:15 pm at the Carmen Pit. The day after, it was reported that 4 employees died while 6 are still missing. Several miners were also rushed to the Carmen Copper Hospital following the landslide. [1] From a public statement released by CCC, they said: “The incident was traceable to the incessant rains for the past several months and aggravated by Typhoon Vicky which hit parts of the Visayas, including Toledo City last Friday, December 18, 2020.” “The Management of CCC is doing all the necessary action to assess and address the overall situation. 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We would like to extend our utmost gratitude to private groups and the Toledo City Government Emergency Response team for extending valuable assistance in our search and rescue operations.” “We are also in close coordination and communication with concerned government agencies as we continue to conduct all necessary actions to assess and address the situation.” [2] 22 Dec. 2020, Toledo City, Cebu – Search and Rescue Operation at Carmen Copper Corp. -- Establishment of Incident Command Post with Carmen Copper Corporation and Mayor Marjorie “Joie” Piczon-Perales (Photo credit: Chile Perolino, Toledo City Public Information Office FB page) The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said last Tuesday that they will do an investigation on the landslide incident. The mining operation is temporarily suspended pending the result of the investigation, according to MGB Director Wilfredo Moncano. He emphasised that the Toledo copper mine passed the Mining Industry Coordinating Council’s independent audit for 2020. [1] CCC is a subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (or “Atlas Mining”). They have an operating agreement with Atlas Mining and has exclusive operating rights over the in situ mineral resources and ore reserves of Carmen, Lutopan and Biga mineral deposits. These are collectively known as Toledo copper mine which covers 1,674 hectares. Currently, 276 hectares out of the total operating area is an active mining site. The Atlas Copper Complex is located in Don Andres Soriano (Lutopan), Toledo City, in the province of Cebu which is 365 miles or 570 km south of Metro Manila. [3] Moncano said via a text message to reporters, “Initial findings indicate that Typhoon Vicky exacerbated the already waterlogged limestone and mudstone layer from the prior typhoon that weakens its contact with the intrusive rock base. This is the material that went down to the pit bottom. A fault line called the Barot fault was also observed in the slide area and may have contributed to the landslide.” [1] Rocky Dimaculangan, Vice President for Communications and National Coordinator for Towards Sustainable Mining sent this message to the media, “The important thing is for the industry to learn lessons from incidents such as this to continue to improve on its protocols and practices. Undoubtedly the industry as a whole will absorb the lessons from this incident.” Last 4th of Dec. 2020, Dimaculangan was a speaker at the Philippine Mining Club Webinar on “Towards Sustainable Mining: Beyond Compliance”. As for the host communities where the mine site is located, they have their own issues against the mining operations of CCC. According to Biga Barangay Captain Pedro Sepada, CCC’s mining activities were the subject of complaints filed by its host barangay since 2019. Their complaints were forwarded to MGB Central Visayas (MGB-7). Sepada stated in a phone interview by Rappler, “During our consultative meetings, we really asked what exactly was the standard distance between the mining operations area and the residential area. MGB said there is no standard distance.” [4] Sepada also said that this was not the first time an incident had occurred. He said that the mining pit had collapsed in 2013, which claimed the life of his relative. [4] In response to the recent tragedy, Toledo City government’s emergency response team extended their assistance in the ongoing search and rescue operation. Toledo City Mayor Marjorie “Joie” Piczon-Perales is also coordinating with CCC. [4] According to Toledo City Information Officer, John Layan, Toledo City will be providing financial assistance to the families of the victims. “As per information from our mayor, our assistance is now in place. We are just finalizing some documentary requirements.” [5] Layan also stated that the other than the City Government’s logistical support to CCC for the search and rescue operation, Mayor Perales requested the help of Philippine Coast Guard for divers and boats for the search and rescue operation. [5] – (Marcelle P. Villegas, PRJ) Reference: [1] Mayuga, Jonathan L. (23 Dec. 2020). Business Mirror. "Carmen Coper halts mine operations". Retrieved from - https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/12/23/carmen-copper-halts-mine-operations/ [2] Press release from Carmen Copper Corp. (22 Dec. 2020) [3] Carmen Copper Corp. company website - https://www.atlasmining.com.ph/about-us/carmen-copper-corporation [4] Sitchon, John (22 Dec. 2020). Rappler. "At least 4 dead, 6 missing after collapse of Cebu mine". Retrieved from - https://www.rappler.com/nation/death-toll-collapse-toledo-cebu-mining-pit-december-22-2020 [5] MVG, WBS, JOB (22 Dec. 2020). SunStar Cebu. "Carmen Copper mine landslide death toll now at 4". Retrieved from - https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1880861/Cebu/Local-News/Carmen-Copper-mine-landslide-death-toll-now-at-4

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Philippine Resources - March 21, 2023

PBBM boosts transport sector thru big-ticket projects

Photo credit: Department of Transportation Several big-ticket infrastructure projects in the transportation sector have been approved or are already being implemented by the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported Monday. In a statement, the DOTr said the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project, Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, EDSA Greenways, the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) West Extension, and the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension are all ongoing as of March 9 according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). These projects are among the 67 infrastructure flagship projects (IFP) that have been greenlit or are already underway out of the 194 high-impact projects under Marcos’ "Build Better More" program. In the rail sector, these approved and ongoing projects include the Metro Manila Subway Phase 1, Mindanao Rail Phase 1, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) rehabilitation, Metro Rail Transit Line 4 (MRT-4), Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), New Cebu International Container Port, New Manila International Airport (Bulacan International Airport), North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Long Haul, and the Subic Clark Railway. The New Dumaguete Airport Development Project (Bacong International Airport) and the Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation (InFRA) Phase 1 have also both been approved by NEDA, with six projects awaiting approval. Last week, the NEDA Board, led by Marcos, approved 194 high-impact priority projects with a total cost of around PHP9 trillion. The board also approved amendments to the 2013 Joint Venture guidelines to support the government’s push for more investments in the country’s infrastructure. PNR suspension Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda has expressed alarm over an impending suspension of select PNR routes due to the NSCR, saying it will affect thousands of commuters, mostly students and workers. “The welfare of the riding public should always be prioritized yet it remains to be seen whether such proposed solutions would effectively and sufficiently address the riding public's urgent demands in time for the imminent suspension of the operations of the PNR,“ Legarda said in her explanatory note on Senate Resolution No. 546. The PNR plans to suspend operations of certain routes for up to five years to facilitate the faster construction of the 55-kilometer NSCR. The construction will start in May and PNR may suspend the routes between Governor Pascual in Malabon City and Calamba City in Laguna, and well as Alabang, Muntinlupa City to Calamba. The Tutuban, Manila-Alabang route will be suspended in October and will affect between 20,000 and 25-000 passengers daily. Legarda urged the Committee on Public Order, chaired by Senator Grace Poe, to look into the impending suspension and come up with alternative solutions.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

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