B’laans visit mine site hosted by Subanons

After Canatuan tour and Siocon LGU welcome, Tampakan IPs now open to mining

He was an activist during his college days; a certified member of the so-called “Parliament of the Streets”. Hence, his town mates were not at all surprised when he joined the picket against the first mining company that ventured into his beloved town of Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte. But that was in March 2004. Last week, he was front and center in allaying the fears of people concerned about another mining company planning to operate in their area.

Constantino Soriano, village chair of Poblacion, led the welcoming party of Siocon local officials for a 62-member delegation composed of their counterparts from South Cotabato, as well as of B’laan indigenous tribal leaders, national government agency officials, and Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) personnel. The delegation came to see the copper-zinc mining operations of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) in Canatuan, the mountain homeland of the Subanon indigenous people (IP) northeast of Siocon. SMI hopes to gain the acceptance of its stakeholders for its plan to operate a copper mine in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

“I never thought I would be an advocate of responsible mining,” Soriano told the guests, led by Ric Magbanua, B’laan chieftain and village chair of Danlag, Tampakan. “To my mind then, mining always brought destruction to the environment. It gave no benefits to the people. It shared no benefits to the community or to the government.”

“I thought all that because I did not know how mining would be done in Canatuan,” Soriano, also the president of Siocon’s League of Barangays, continued. “TVIRD, however, has this `open door policy’. It invites stakeholders to visit and see for themselves what it is doing in partnership with the Subanon IPs. From what I’ve seen and from the many town folks that I’ve spoken with, I learned that the company is doing many beneficial things. The taxes the company is paying to the local and national governments and the social development projects it is implementing in the communities surrounding its operations are proof that it is complying with what is mandated by the Mining Act of 1995. On environmental protection, I know the company is well equipped and has the capability to protect our rivers and seas, and the Siocon environment as a whole.”

Ely Valmores, acting General Manager of TVIRD’s Canatuan Project, said responsible stewardship of the environment is one of cornerstones of the company’s continued operational success. “For instance, we never had any major concerns pertaining to the environment during our Gold-Silver operations, which lasted from mid-2004 to April last year. Now rehabilitation activities for this phase of our operations are ongoing,” he explained. “The Sulphide dam that currently serves as the tailings impoundment facility for our Copper-Zinc operations followed global standards in dam design and structural strength. TVIRD never hesitated to pour in a huge amount of money to ensure this dam is world class.”

After touring TVIRD’s operations and listening to Soriano speak Magbanua shared his impressions on mining: “I now see mining’s benefits to the community, government and indigenous people. But SMI should mine responsibly. I don’t want to see rampant cutting of trees. You see our natural grown trees are big, proof that they are centuries old.”

Neraldo “Dot” Capiong, tribal chieftain of Bongmal, Tampakan, agreed. “I am convinced that mining, if done responsibly, can be beneficial to IPs like me. I am thinking through what will happen to the big trees – the centuries-old tanguile and apitong trees – in our forests. I do not want them to be cut indiscriminately.”

Another Danlag tribal chieftain, Dalena Samling, said mining could be a tool to alleviate the poverty. “I saw Siocon’s rice fields. Rice is growing well. This means that mining in the Canatuan mountains has not affected rice production on the plains of Siocon.”

The government officials who went with the B’laans on their tour were also satisfied with what they saw in Canatuan. “Mining is good for the country and people if done the TVIRD way,” commented Asuncion Evardo, an officer of Tampakan Municipal Local Government Operations under the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Although, she works under the national government, Evardo coordinates closely with Tampakan local officials, particularly on matters related to local governance.

One government official who was visibly happy with his “homecoming” in Canatuan was Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 12 Director Constancio Paye, who previously held the same post in Region 9, which encompasses TVIRD’s Canatuan Project. “It has been two years since I left (Region 9) and now I can see further improvement in TVIRD’s relationship with the local government,” he said.

Paye said the B’laans were particularly impressed with TVIRD’s operations – run by competent professionals – and with the company’s environmental protection and ongoing mine rehabilitation activities, as well as projects under the Social Development and Management Program.

“An important factor in TVIRD’s successful operation is the convergence of efforts of all stakeholders in pursuing sustainable development,” Valmores said. “This convergence of efforts created and maintained an atmosphere of transparency, dialogue, teamwork, and mutual respect and understanding.”

Soriano stressed that he maintains his pro-environment stance notwithstanding his change of heart on mining. “I will never cease monitoring TVIRD’s operations. I owe this to my children and to Siocon’s future. But while I will tightly guard the company’s actions, I will also appreciate what it is doing for our people. Just last month, all 26 members of the Barangay League that I head awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to TVIRD for its social development projects and programs for the villages in our municipality.”

After Canatuan, the contingent visited the now closed Philex mine site in Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte, where they saw former mine areas that are now “more green” than their surroundings.

Upon reaching Davao City, the delegation’s takeoff point on their way back to South Cotabato, Anne Barroso of SMI’s Community Relations unit expressed her company’s thanks to TVIRD by telephone: “Thank you very much for the wonderful and warm accommodation, and the knowledge and information we gained from you. Now our B’laan partners are urging us to mine at the soonest opportunity!” (Lullie A. Micabalo)