MANILA - Environment activists will stage protests next week against what they described as a "premature" plan to lift the ban on open-pit mining, one of their leaders said Thursday.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau should not lift the ban until it finishes its review of former environment secretary Gina Lopez's order last February to shut or suspend 28 mines, said Alyansa Tigil Mina national director Jaybee Garganera.

"Kakakumpleto pa lang nila nung listahan ng experts nila na gagawa nung review ng mining audit. In fact, 'yung pagrereview ng mining audit hindi pa nag-uumpisa," he said.

(They just completed the list of experts who will review the mining audit. In fact, the mining audit has not yet started.)

Larry Heradez, chief of the MGB's legal division, told lawmakers Wednesday that the agency was planning to lift the ban for lack of legal basis.

"In the Philippines ... surface mining or 'open-pit' is technically and financially feasible," Heradez said.

Garganera said green groups would also urge Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to dialogue with anti-mining representatives.

"Marami na kaming environment groups na sumulat at nagrequest kahit courtesy call lang, wala pa din kami natanggap kahit acknowledgement letter para sa request namin," he said.

(Many of us environment groups have written to him and requested even just for a courtesy call. We did have not received not even an acknowledgement letter of our request.)