Miners in Vizcaya not spared from crisis - Tribal leaders happy over news
By atm.admin - Posted on October 27th, 2008
The communities in the uplands of Nueva Vizcaya have suffered greatly from mining, subject to intimidation, illegal demolitions and forced to abandon their fields and block the roads to prevent the loss of their farms.
Individuals such as Kag. Peter Duayapat of Didipio have been the targets of everything from bribery to threats. It gladdens our hearts that there are positive changes on the horizon.
Leaders of tribal communities here expressed relief that the economic meltdown plaguing the international business community was working in their favor to drive out foreign mining companies in the province.
Peter Duyapat, chair of the Nueva Vizcaya Anti-mining Task Force (NVATF), said they were happy over news that mining companies, including three large-scale mining firms, were not spared from the present economic downturn.
“We believe that this is an offshoot of the people’s continued resistance to these mining projects. We feel that our tribal gods continue to help us out,” he said.
Duyapat was reacting to reports that the world’s mining companies, including those who have substantial investments in the Philippines, have lost combined $1.1 trillion in market value.
“Our people are starting to see these economic events as beneficial for our struggle because if these companies do not have the money and continue to lose, they will eventually abandon their projects and leave us all in peace,” he said.
Three foreign firms—Australian companies OceanaGold Philippines Inc. and RoyalCo Resources Ltd. and the British firm Metals Exploration PLC—have large-scale mining interests in Nueva Vizcaya.
Data from official websites of the Australian and London stock exchanges showed the three companies’ share prices had plunged in the past six months.
Duyapat said residents of Barangay Didipio in Kasibu town are glad that OceanaGold failed to meet its targeted resumption of operations after a supposed two-month stoppage.
OceanaGold, which is trying to start its gold-copper project in Didipio, suspended its construction operations in June following what officials described as an attempt to cut down on company expenses.
Steve Orr, OceanaGold chief executive officer, then said the company needed about $185 million in additional funds, and was considering a number of options to meet this need, including acquiring loans and mergers with other companies.
Duyapat and Didipio village officials, as well as representatives from various environment groups, met with lawyers of the provincial government on Wednesday to discuss legal strategies on the pending suits involving mining companies here.
“We are so thankful that for the past months, we have been able to sleep soundly, and we no longer needed to stay in the barricade,” said Julian Inlab, Didipio village council member, referring to a human blockade set up by residents to stop the entry of OceanaGold heavy equipment in their area. (Inquirer.net)
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good 4 u oceana
CRISIS $ D OCEANA/ROYAL COMPANY?Thanks GOD!i believe that it s GOD's way to answer d community prayers...mABUHAY anti-mining groups!
Your right anonymous,GOD
Your right anonymous,GOD answer the prayer of the Didipio community to develop our Barangay to have a good market road, Good education...the Oceanagold fulfill this dreams that the Didipio community can transport their crops to market,,not like before when road not improve by the Oceanagold, it takes 3 days before the crops can reach the market, students can walk 7 hours going to school carrying their "Baon"...but now its just the start of the development of or our Barangay thanks to Oceanagold they fulfill our dreams that government cant give...I know GOD will continue abide the development of Barangay Didipio...
Your right anonymous,GOD
Hi GOD,
I am glad for the developments that have happened in your community, if you are really from Didipio.
I will not debate that roads and schools are important aspects of development.
However, if the long-term negative impacts of large-scale mining that OceanaGold will bring to the whole province of Nueva Vizcaya is greater than the benefits that these (farm-to) market roads are bringing to Didipio, then I must say that your position is myopic, short-term and bordering on social irresponsibility.
I will not deny that residents of Didipio are entitled to development. That is to say that citrus farmers in Malabing Valley, the luya (ginger) farmers in Lower Muta and the farmers in Runruno are also entitled to development as well. Unfortunately, these people from outside of Didipio have studied, analysed and decided that large-scale mining is not going to be beneficial for much more people in the long run.
Let us consider then the facts:
1. Nueva Vizcaya is largely watershed area. It practically feeds the rivers and water system of the other provinces that it bounds, providing irrigation, and household and commercial water supply to thousands of family, not only of Nueva Vizcaya itself, but of other provinces as well.
2. The farmers who will be impacted by the large-scale mining of OceanaGold have resisted, mainly because the cost-benefit analysis (what they will lose as farmers if large-scale mining is done) has clearly illustrated that they will lose millions worth of income/revenue from their agricultural produce.
3. The procedures by which OceanaGold (and its predecessors) have secured their social license to operate has been put to question by many reports and official documentations. I invite you to visit the other portions of this website to find these in more details. These include human rights violations against individuals who have openly resisted the entry and operations of OceanaGold.
4. The potential benefits that large-scale mining will bring to Nueva Vizcaya pales in comparison to the potential destruction that it poses. While OceanaGold has succeeded in winning your permission acceptance, GOD, because of the road that you see, you may have failed to notice that OceanaGold was remiss in paying its taxes to the LGU, and therefore, was not actually brigning development to the greater number of people.
I would like to still thank you for taking time to visit our website. In the same light, I encourage you to read more about the stories and reports that we have compiled that has led us to believe that in the long term, the operations of OceanaGold will bring more hardships to more Vizcayanos, even if a road in Didipio has been built. Unfortunately, that road may not be the right path for sustainable development that many people believe in.
Jaybee
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