COREMIN2 holds `Mining 101′ in Ipil
These words from Antonio Manaytay, President of the Zamboanga Sibugay Press Club, summed up the sentiments of the overwhelming majority of those who participated in the Fundamentals of Minerals Development (FMD) seminar conducted by the Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao (COREMIN2) in partnership with the Provincial Government of Zamboanga Sibugay in Ipil last June 28. A total of 73 representatives from the local government units, the religious sector, the media, and non-government organizations attended the FMD.
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Above left, Yulo Perez, TVIRD Vice President and Chief Operating Officer discusses Mining and Metallurgy while, above right, Sr. Heidi Villareal of the Daughters of Charity and coordinator of the Inter-religious Dialogue in the Diocese of Ipil, together with officers and members of the Catholic Church’s Socil Action Center, listen attentively to the discussion. Below left, a total of 73 representatives from the local government units, the religious sector, the media, and non-government organizations attended the FMD. Below right, Robert Jay Nelson, TVIRD Vice President for Environment and Civil Works gives details on the environmental management and protection initiatives being followed by mining firms.
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“Adherence to the principles of responsible mining is not the concern solely of COREMIN2 or the mining industry. It is also ours,” Manaytay added. “I hope the FMD will open opportunities for us in the media to work closely with COREMIN2 in attaining its objectives. We want to share in that undertaking.”
Rodolfo Balagot, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, explained that he espouses mining “for as long as the social and environmental requirements are strictly complied with by mining firms and with the involvement of all stakeholders under the principles of transparency and accountability.”
“Responsible mining will help tap our province’s rich natural resources and, at the same time improve revenues, provide employment opportunities, among other things,” he said. “This seminar should be replicated in other areas of Sibugay because it provides clear education on the rudiments of mining.”
COREMIN2 is an alliance of key mining companies in Mindanao – the Philippines’ second biggest island group – that strongly advocates for the responsible development of mineral resources in pursuit of sustainable development. The one-day program, on the other hand, is the abridged version of the five-day “Mining 101” Seminar Series being conducted by the University of the Philippines Department of Mining, Metallurgy, and Materials Management Engineering with which COREMIN2 has a partnership.
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Left photo, Bennet Santander, an environment NGO, leader in Zamboanga Sibugay, and Rodolfo Balagot, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer espouse mining “for as long as the social and environmental requirements are strictly complied with by mining firms and with the involvement of all stakeholders under the principles of transparency and accountability.” Right, Danilo Delena, Chief of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement Evaluation Section, Mining Tenements Management Division, MGB Central Office, extensively explains why the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 is regarded as one of the well-crafted mining laws in Asia and the world. The law features stringent environmental responsibilities and compels mining companies to strictly adhere to responsible mining operations.
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The Coalition also conducts the one-day “Fundamentals” workshop in partnership with the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Mindanao and its local Chambers. Before Ipil, the FMD had been held in the cities of Davao, Pagadian in Zamboanga del Sur, Koronadal in South Cotabato, and Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte.
“The seminar participants are given added knowledge on the intricacies of minerals development in all aspects, especially social and environmental,” said Nelia Halcon, COMP Executive Vice President and one of the FMD resource speakers. “These aspects come from the heart of the sustainable framework of the mining industry. We are glad that the participants stayed until the end (of the seminar.) That was a good sign that they wanted to learn. The seminar was indeed a success.”
“The FMD was very informative; the presentations were good,” Antonio Gamalinda, the representative of Zamboanga Sibugay Governor Rommel Jalosjos, said. “The member-companies of COREMIN2 know how to listen and explain well what the people have to know.”
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Left, Ceferino Dela Cruz, Supervising Geologist, MGB Region IX, talks about Geology, the Philippines’ mineral endowment, and the minerals found in areas covered by the MGB Region IX. Right, local municipal leaders and members of the civil society participate in the discussion regarding responsible mining and the state of mining in the Sibugay province.
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In his welcome message read by Gamalinda, Governor Jalosjos said he is happy that the seminar was conducted in his province because it has one of the richest mineral resources in Region 9. He stressed, however, that, “there are those who are against mining…because they are not aware of the provisions of the law. We have Republic Act 7942 (The Philippine Mining Act of 1995), which is quite clear on the rules and regulations that mining firms should follow in order to operate in a responsible manner.”
The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 is regarded as one of the well-crafted mining laws in Asia and the world. The law features stringent environmental responsibilities and compels mining companies to strictly adhere to responsible mining operations. However, despite these measures and assurances, mining is often stalled by roadblocks laid by skeptics from some civil society organizations and local government units still wary of the industry’s tainted past.
Concerned about these impediments and aware of the concerns against their industry, mining companies in Mindanao have banded together and organized themselves into COREMIN2. The Coalition seek to help the Philippine government solve the nation’s economic problems, particularly in the countryside, in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.
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Left, Bonifacio Patoh, a Subanon and a former barangay captain of Tabayo, gives a testimony on how responsible mining improved the quality of life of IPs in Canatuan. Right, Sibugay Provincial Board Member and Environment Committee Chairman Wilborne Danda applauded COREMIN2 and recommended to TVIRD to encourage the indigenous hosts to plant more rubber trees so that they will remain productive after TVIRD closes its mine. A Subanon himself, Danda praised TVIRD for bringing development to the Subanons of Canatuan.
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Apart from Halcon, the other resource speakers for the Ipil leg of the FMD were: Danilo Delena, Chief of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement Evaluation Section, Mining Tenements Management Division, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Central Office; Ceferino Dela Cruz, Supervising Geologist, MGB Region IX; Yulo Perez, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. TVIRD; Robert Jay Nelson, Vice President for Environment and Civil Works, TVIRD; and Rocky Dimaculangan, President of COREMIN2, and Director of Public Affairs, TVIRD. They discussed in detail such topics as industrial development in first world countries, uses of minerals and metals in daily life, the Philippines’ mineral endowment, relevant provisions of Mining Act of 1995, mining and metallurgy, potential benefits of minerals development, corporate social responsibility projects of mining firms, and environmental management and protection.
During the open forum, Sibugay Provincial Board Member and Environment Committee Chairman Wilborne Danda applauded COREMIN2 and recommended to TVIRD — which operates a copper-zinc mine in the Subanon ancestral domain of Canatuan in adjacent Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte – to encourage the indigenous hosts to plant more rubber trees so that they will remain productive after TVIRD closes its mine. A Subanon himself, Danda praised TVIRD for bringing development to the Subanons of Canatuan.
The religious sector was represented in the seminar by Sr. Heidi Villareal of Daughters of Charity and coordinator of the Inter-religious Dialogue in the Diocese of Ipil. She was joined by officers and members of the Catholic Church’s Social Action Center.
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Rocky Dimaculangan, COREMIN2 President and TVIRD Public Affairs Director (far left), together with Ramil Mundo, Philex Gold Philippines, Inc. Sibutad Site Manager and COREMIN2 Secretary (far right), present a plaque of appreciation to Nelia Halcon, COMP Executive Vice President and one of the FMD resource speakers. “The seminar participants are given added knowledge on the intricacies of minerals development in all aspects, especially social and environmental,” Halcon says.
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TVIRD is joined in COREMIN2 by the following member-companies: 168 Ferrum Pacific Mining Corp. (Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur), Apex Mining Inc. (Compostela Valley), Perfect World Metal Mining Corp. (Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental), Philex Gold Phils. Inc. (Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte), and Sagittarius Mines Inc. (Tampakan, South Cotabato), as well as Industrial Sand and Gravel permit holders JCybayog Aggregates Supply, Montano Construction and Development Corporation, Sindangan River Sand, Gravel & Concrete Products, and RS Tan ISAG. (Rihanna Angeles)