Congratulations to the construction team for a job well done
Slowly, the three ball mills began to spin. The faces of those who had gathered
at the mill area lit up while those outside clapped enthusiastically. As the
cylinders turned faster, one could hear a whirring sound, followed by the thumping
of steel ball charges signaling the start of the plant commissioning. Then the
technical crewmen held up their thumbs. Everybody was smiling. More applause.
Others heaved a sigh of relief. The Sulphide Project – TVI Resource Development
Philippines, Inc.’s (TVIRD) second phase of operations at Canatuan in
Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte – has begun.
Yulo Perez, TVIRD Vice President for Philippine Operations,
prefers to call the event a “soft launch”. Last November 15, he
led members of the Canatuan management team and workforce in witnessing the
product of their labor come to life. After six months of round-the-clock construction
activities, which saw TVIRD employees and contractors build the plant and support
facilities for copper-zinc production and transportation, focus has now turned
to what Perez refers to as “debugging”.
“Actually, our Mines Department has fed a total of 4,000
dry metric tons of ore to the crushing circuit a week ago,” he continues.
“This was the same ore that we fed to the ball mills that we commissioned
last Saturday.”
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Top
photo shows Yulo Perez, TVIRD Vice President for Philippine Operations (in yellow jacket), and Ely Valmores, Sulphide Project Construction Manager, inspecting one of the three ball mills prior to commissioning. In middle photo, Perez and Valmores supervise workers loading steel balls into a ball mill. Perez, views the ball mill as it begins to turn in bottom photo. TVIRD’s Copper-Zinc operations has begun. |
“From here all equipment will be closely observed,”
he explains. “If necessary, we will make some adjustments or fine-tuning
as we go along. Efforts are now being focused to ensure that the facilities
to support our first shipment of copper concentrates, expected to be sometime
this January, are in place.“
Cliff James, Chairman of TVIRD and CEO of its Canadian affiliate,
TVI Pacific Inc, was delighted when he called Perez to express his pleasure
and approval for the feat: “Congratulations to you and your team for a
job well done – you did it on time! I can’t ask for more!”
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Big
wheels keep on turning…Everybody who attended the commissioning clapped when one of the ball mills spun faster. Others heaved a sigh of relief. |
Perez thanked the members of the plant construction team who
attended the “dry mass” conducted by Maintenance Senior Supervisor
Rodolfo Lupo, Sunday, the day after the successful plant commissioning. “Sa
ating mga taga-civil works, mechanical and electrical teams maraming maraming
salamat sa inyo. Maraming salamat din sa ating mga supervisors na palaging nakasubaybay
sa bawat teams araw at gabi, ulan man o hindi.” Hindi natin natapos ang
trabaho kung wala kayo. (To our civil works, mechanical and electrical teams,
thank you so much. I am also thankful to all the supervisors who guided each
team, day and night, rain or no rain.” Our job would not have been completed
without you.”
Construction Project Manager Ely Valmores also expressed his
appreciation to the team.
“Overall, I am pleased with the way things are going.
Looks like the gods are smiling at us,” Reynaldo Carubio, Mill Operations
Superintendent, says. Like Construction Project Manager Ely Valmores, Carubio
was also with Perez throughout the plant commissioning.
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(Top)
Perez thanks the members of the Sulphide Project construction team for a job well done. (Middle and bottom) TVIRD’s “heroes” celebrate after the pep talk. “Our job would not have been completed without you,” says Perez. |
He has good reason to believe so. Two days earlier, tribal
leaders of TVIRD’s host Subanon community conducted a traditional ritual
– called ginang podoguh – at the plant site to seek the blessings
of their god, Apo Sanag. Together with tribal folk and company employees, Baliyan
(high priestess) Susana Davi prayed for the smooth and successful operation
of, as well as continued harmonious relationship among those who are involved
in, the Sulphide Project.
After sprinkling pork blood on all the equipment, following
the tradition of generations of indigenous people, Davi burned incense and implored:
“Ika kamanyan pagabita diya ni Apoh Sanag nog makina nog mina kuni ondi
moglaat bu gotaw migubit nog ginang kumi ondi mog (You smoke of this incense,
go with the wind, and bring our message to Apo Sanag. Please tell him to keep
our mining equipment secure and in good shape. May he guide the Management and
the workers so that they may understand each other always.”
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Above,
TVIRD Canatuan employees and Subanon hosts participate in a tribal ritual, led by high priestess Susana Davi (right). Below, TVIRD’s management team, headed by Perez (far right), Valmores (center), and Ed Nercuit join the ritual. “…bring our message to Apo Sanag. Please tell him to keep our mining equipment secure and in good shape. May he guide the Management and the workers so that they may understand each other always,” prays Davi. |
For Pilar Cordero, a Subanon who has been working with TVIRD
for more than four years now, the startup of the Sulphide Project means the
continuation of the social and environmental programs that the company has started
under its Gossan (Gold-Silver) Project, which was decommissioned last April.
“The Sulphide Project gives us new hope to have a better life for our
family and our community,” she says.
Boslon Danduh, a Muslim member of the Siocon Municipal Council,
shares the hope and optimism of the Subanon people of Canatuan, a remote mountain
sitio of Barangay Tabayo: “I congratulate TVIRD, its Management and staff
for successful startup of the Sulphide Project. The success of this undertaking
will only mean a better future for our Subanon brothers and sisters in Canatuan.”
The Municipal Council, in a resolution, has unanimously approved
the operation of the Sulphide Project after members of the community rallied
at the town hall in support of TVIRD.
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View
of the crusher circuit area, site of the Subanon rites. |
Barangay Tabayo Chair Bonifacio Patoh, who is also the president
of Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI), beamed after he learned of the successful
plant startup: “Now that the commissioning has succeeded, we will continue
praying that everything will go according to the company’s plans, both
for the operations and for our community. Rest assured of my continued support
for TVIRD.” SSAI is the legal representative of Canatuan’s Certificate
of Ancestral Domain Title holders.
“According to our tradition, the precious metals in Mount
Canatuan will one day be mined,” Sidai Dandana, an official of the Siocon
Subanon Women’s Association, relates. “The mountain keepers Apoh
Dogboluwan and Apoh Binobong Monoyundah knew that day would come and that the
Subanons must utilize it for their own good. However, we have to do it in such
a way that the environment will not be sacrificed so it will not turn against
us.”
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Pancho
Tumangkis (left) and Pilar Cordero, both Subanons who are among the majority in the tribe who welcome the commissioning of the Sulphide Project. “We are quite elated with this development.” |
Last June, the TVIRD Sulphide construction team led by Valmores,
started building the Sulphide Plant, which was designed by an international
engineering firm. Since then, the team had been working 24/7 to ensure that
the mid-November deadline for the startup will be met.
“We are relieved that we were able to do what was expected
of us,” he says. “Now we’re all looking forward to the coming
copper concentrate shipment early in the new year.”
While Valmores and his team was busy building the plant, Edilberto
Nercuit, Manager of Civil Engineering Services, was also fully occupied with
overseeing the construction of the copper-zinc tailings impoundment facility.
He and his 50-man team were also mindful of the deadline the whole time.
“The Sulphide Dam is now ready for the tailings,”
he says during the management team’s early morning meeting last Friday.
“We are quite elated with this development,” Pancho
Tumangkis, also a tribal leader, says. “Apoh Sanag must have heard our
prayers. Soon, TVIRD can concentrate on its social development agenda for my
people.” (Lullie Micabalo)