Echoing dissent on mining

Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio told Mindanao lawyers to help prevent foreigners from further exploiting the country’s mineral resources at the expense of the environment, the government and the Filipino people.
In his keynote speech before participants of the Mindanao regional convention of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines here from Nov. 21 to 23, Carpio [...]

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Selling mining with two sides now

Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau regional chief Edilberto Arreza says they now tell investors about possible opposition to mining projects from the Lumads (indigenous people) unlike in the past when they were silent about this.Arreza’s presentation to businessmen attending various meetings for the East Asean Growth Area two weeks ago showed potential areas for mining, legal [...]

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Bukidnon Reporter blog: Mining in Bukidnon?

There’s a lot of talk about rich gold deposits in Pantaron Mountain Range in San Fernando, Bukidnon. All these gold panning stuff we hear from treasure hunters tickled our imagination over the years.
This time, however, it has become official. The government started to include Bukidnon’s mining potentials in its marketing presentations to foreign investors. Read [...]

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Gov’t flaunts five “high interest” mining sites in Mindanao

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources this week flaunted to investors from the East ASEAN Growth Area (EAGA) five potential “high interest” mining areas in Mindanao.
Edilberto Arreza, OIC regional director of the DENR’s Mines and Geociences Bureau (MGB) in Southeastern Mindanao identified the areas as North Central Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Southern Mindanao, and Palawan, [...]

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Resource projects dominate EAGA biz matching

Business interests mainly on biodiesel, palm oil plantations, and mining dominate projects eyed for business matching at the first ever BIMP-East ASEAN Growth Area investment conference here.
About 28 of the 39 projects were clustered under the natural resource development sector, according to a list provided by the conference secretariat to reporters.
Only 11 were classified under [...]

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Mining and Mindanao: what fate awaits communities?

A friend Penelope Sanz, an anthropologist and a part-time journalist, has gone deep into both probing mining communities and met with mining firms.
I think she has an extensive and intensive field work on mining in Mindanao. I have always wanted to cover communities as there are both interesting and shocking stories to tell from the [...]

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Lumads effective mining watchdogs — MinBC

he indigenous peoples in communities where mining sites are situated can be effective in helping ensure responsible mining in Mindanao, an official of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) said.
The lumad communities’ role, said MinBC chair Vicente Lao, would be more on monitoring to check if mining firms have become abusive.
He said many lumad communities [...]

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Mindanao’s economic growth soars to 5.2 percent

Mindanao’s six regions collectively posted a 5.2 percent growth in 2006, with five of the regions posting higher growth rates, according to figures released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). Ever Abasolo, senior economic development specialist at the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo), told reporters the Mindanao rate is even higher compared [...]

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NCIP team discovers illegal mining in Magpet

What is going on?

MAGPET, North Cotabato (MindaNews/29 May) – A team from the National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and village officials has discovered
illegal mining activities in Barangay Amabel here.
Team leader Manuel Yamuta in his report said the mining activity that started
January is being undertaken by two groups.
He said Jaime Alfuerto Jr., a former village official [...]

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Mining firms forced to support NPA - MGB

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/16 April) — Mining firms operating in Southeastern
Mindanao have been giving contributions to the New Peoples Army (NPA) but
claimed they have no choice, a mines bureau official said.
Last week, a military official said the mining sector is a major source of the
NPA’s war chest.
Edilberto Arreza, regional director of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences
Bureau, [...]

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(Updated) Siocon mining dam reported to have “collapsed”

DAVAO CITY (Story grabbed from MindaNews/3 Apr) — Anti-mining groups on Tuesday claimed that a dam reportedly filled with sulfuric oxide and operated by Canadian-owned TVI Resource Development, Inc. collapsed last Monday, sending highly acidic water into the resource-rich Siocon Bay in Zamboanga del Norte. Jesus Vicente Garganera, national coordinator of the Alyansa Tigil [...]

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USEP to offer mining-related courses starting June

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/30 March) — The University of Southeastern Philippines
(USEP) here will start offering in June this year courses that will respond to
the growing demand of the mining industry for geologists and other experts, a
university official said.
Dr. Daniel T. Ugay, Jr. USEP vice president for academic affairs, announced
during a press [...]

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