Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Robert Desjardins and officials of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) and its Canadian affiliate TVI Pacific Inc (TSX:TVI) led by Mr. Clifford James, TVIRD and TVI Pacific CEO, and Atty. Eugene Mateo, TVIRD President , paid a courtesy call on Secretary Lito Atienza of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Ambassador Desjardins applauded the efforts of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration in revitalizing the Philippine minerals industry and Secretary Atienza’s leadership in communicating the benefits of mining, which is emerging to be one of the strongest drivers of growth globally, to local government units. For his part, Secretary Atienza thanked the Government of Canada for helping ensure that companies like TVIRD always maintain the balance in protecting the environment and in benefiting a large sector of society, especially the poor.

Mr. James related both TVI Pacific’s and TVIRD’s long ties with the Philippines, having stayed the course through some of the difficult periods of the industry.

In the meeting, Secretary Atienza announced the granting of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) to TVIRD following the company’s request for an amendment to cover the proposed increase in production capacity of its Sulphide (Copper-Zinc) Project in Canatuan, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte to 1,850 dry metric tonnes. Atty. Mateo has expressed TVIRD’s conformity to all the conditions stated in the amended ECC, including protecting and mitigating the Project’s impacts on community health, welfare and environment.

TVIRD completed its first shipment of copper concentrates from the Canatuan Mine last March 27, and is slated to make its next shipment in late April or early May.