Expresses hope for President-elect Aquino to continue supporting minerals industry
Call time was 12:30 p.m. People have begun streaming in the Rizal Hall of Malacanang Palace, official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Government officials as well as representatives and beneficiaries of the mining, lands and forestry sectors were ushered in to their seats. Timuoy Jose “Boy” Anoy, Chieftain of the Subanon tribe of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, was led to the left hand side front row facing the center stage. He was calm and composed; dignified in his traditional garb. “This is my third time here,” he said.
Timuoy Anoy was representing this island nation’s dozens of indigenous peoples (IPs) communities in thanking outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her active promotion of mining, a major component of her Sustainable Natural Resources Legacy during her nine years in office. The event was organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), led by Secretary Horacio Ramos to highlight the Arroyo Administration’s accomplishments in the natural resources sector. The proceedings started shortly after the President arrived at around 1:45 p.m.
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Timuoy Jose “Boy” Anoy shares with Philippine government officials and guests his tribe’s positive experience on responsible mining with TVIRD. Below, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo shakes the hand of the Subanon tribal chieftain after his speech. “Maraming salamat, Ginang Pangulo (Thank you very much Madame President),” says Timuoy Anoy.
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“Kami pong mga katutubo ay lubos ang pasasalamat sa ating pangulo sa pagsusulong ng responsableng pagmimina upang makamit ang sustainable development sa aming komunidad (We, the indigenous people, are extremely grateful to our president for promoting responsible mining towards sustainable development in our community,” Timuoy Anoy said in his speech. “Nalaman ko ang kabutihan ng responsible mining sa aming lugar. Nakatulong ng malaki ang operations ng TVI(RD) sa pagpapatayo ng mga paaralan at pagbibigay ng livelihood para sa aming mga Subanon. (I learned of the good things that responsible mining can bring to our village. TVI(RD)’s operations have tremendously helped in the building of schools and in the promotion of livelihood for us Subanons.”
TVI Resource Development (Philippines), Inc. (TVIRD) operates a copper-zinc mine in Canatuan, part of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) area of the Subanon tribe that Timuoy Anoy heads. TVIRD’s Canatuan Mine and Balabag Project (which straddles the Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur provinces) are part of the government’s Priority Mineral Development, Mineral Processing and Exploration Projects.
Chamber of Mines of the Philippines President Benjamin Philip Romualdez, representing the mining industry, recalled how President Arroyo stood her ground in promoting the Revitalization Program for the Philippine Mining Industry, which went on full swing in 2004 despite strong opposition from various sectors. Romualdez applauded President Arroyo for maintaining an attractive climate for mineral investment.
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Timouy Anoy shares a light moment with President Arroyo and Environment Secretary Horacio Ramos.
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Secretary Ramos, in DENR’s “Sustainable Natural Resources Legacy” Report, said: “Mining investment, guided by the principles of sustainable development and the paradigm of responsible mining, totaled US $2.8 billion from 2004 to 2009, and are expected to reach $13.5 billion by 2013. The sector’s contribution to our country’s gross domestic product leapt from 0.6% (P21.6 billion) in 2000 to 1.30% (P100.5 billion) in 2009. Government revenues from the sector in the form of national and local taxes, fees and royalties are expected to reach P7.5 billion in 2009.
“Additional benefits include the direct and indirect employment of 996,000 people, commitment for social and community development projects worth P1.89 billion in the 733 host and neighboring communities of mining projects, and the planting of 9.24 million seedlings in over 11,000 hectares under the Mining Forest Program,” Ramos continued. “Collective environmental management protection and mine closure and rehabilitation commitment from mining contractors and permit holders totaled P25 billion.”
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Above, President Arroyo receives the “Ang Minera” (The Lady Miner) Award from Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association President Louie Sarmiento (second from right) as Chamber of Mines of the Philippines President Benjamin Philip Romualdez (far right) and Secretary Ramos look on. Below, Secretary Ramos and DENR officials formally turnover the “Sustainable Natural Resources Legacy Report” to President Arroyo.
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For his part, Mayor Abraham Ibba of Batarazza, Palawan, shared that his municipality’s income rose to billions of pesos from the taxes paid by two mining operations in his area. Beneficiaries and representatives of the lands and forestry industries also took turns in thanking President Arroyo for her promotion, among others of the Upland Development Program, which created thousands of jobs, as well as of the accelerated distribution of alienable and disposable lands to landless Filipinos.
President Arroyo leaves office on June 30 and the new President, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III, assumes the post the following day. Romualdez was quoted by the BusinessWorld newspaper as saying that he has met with President-elect Aquino’s group to discuss mining reforms.
“He (Mr. Aquino) will review the Philippine Mining Act,” Romualdez told reporters. “We do not really expect major changes. If anything, what must be done is to strengthen the law and the implementation of its provisions. The Philippine Mining Act is actually considered as one of the best in Asia," he said, pertaining to Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
“Sana nga ay ipagpatuloy ni Presidente Noynoy ang pagsusulong ng responsible mining upang magtuloy-tuloy din ang pag-unlad ng mga katulad naming mga katutubo (Hopefully, President Noynoy will continue promoting responsible mining so that progress will continue for us indigenous peoples),” Anoy said after the Malacanang event. “Ikinampanya namin siya ng maigi at ibinoto sa Siocon noong nakaraang eleksyon (We campaigned hard and voted for him in Siocon during the last elections).
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TVIRD President Eugene Mateo (shown here beside Timuoy Anoy) attended the Malacanang event to listen to the Subanon Chief and to personally thank President Arroyo for her active support for the mining industry.
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