The province reportedly has rich deposits of gold, nickel, copper, chromite, and manganese, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Davao Oriental has 37,000 of the 87,000 mining tenements in the country.
Malanyaon, in an interview, acknowledges that mining is a lucrative industry, but she would rather not push it too much.
In fact, she has certified the province’s proposed environment code as urgent to ensure that mining is regulated in Davao Oriental.
Despite her not-so-warm approach at mining, some mining firms are still able to operate in the province. The governor was quick to point, though, that these were already there even before she became governor. But she vowed to assert regulatory measures to preserve the province’s environment.
Malanyaon said she would rather focus more on agriculture, and says she now has an agricultural program to help ensure that her constituents’ household monthly income will be at least P6,000. At present, 35 percent of the households are still earning below that amount.
The governor said she intends to promote market-oriented crops like the cassava instead of just concentrating on coconuts, which is Davao Oriental’s top produce.
Malanyaon said they are now talking with China so that local farmers can export their cassava their.
The province, she said, is also looking at the possibility of planting oil palm, abaca, and rubber. Aquaculture is yet another possible area that Davao Oriental can venture into, she added.
The governor assured that the province’s rice fields will be prepared to ensure a stable supply. (MindaNews)