Green umbrella group to probe mining's effects on RP's citrus capital Fact-finding mission sets off for Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya today
BY CLEMENTE BAUTISTA, Jr. Kalikasan-PNE National Coordinator
August 29, 2007
Green umbrella group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) will be conducting a fact-finding mission to probe the effects of two mining exploration and operation projects on the country's foremost citrus-producing producing province and critical watershed area in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.
Kalikasan PNE today sets off for Barangay Paquet, in Kasibu, eastern Nueva Vizcaya, on a fact-finding and solidarity mission team from August 30 to September 1, led by Defend Patrimony, a broad alliance against mining liberalization in the Philippines, and Save the Valley, Serve the People, a Kasibu-based local alliance in opposition to the current mining projects, Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator Clemente Bautista said.
The fact-finding mission will probe into the effects of the exploration Project of Oxiana Philippines, Inc. and operation and exploration activities of Oceana Gold in the area, Bautista said. Close to a thousand villagers have sustained a human barricade in the area for several weeks now, in opposition to Oxiana's attempts to bring in drilling equipment to Kasibu.
"We will be looking into the environmental impacts of mining on the community, as well as document human rights violations committed by Oxiana in the course of attempting to break the barricade," Bautista said. The findings, he said, would be disseminated and forwarded by the organizations involved to pro-environment solons in Congress and the Senate by next week for appropriate action.
"The presence of mining firms in Kasibu threatens the ecosystems and the people's welfare and livelihood, especially in the field of citrus fruit production," Bautista said.
Nueva Vizcaya, he noted, is known as the Citrus Capital of the Philippines for the varieties of citrus and orange fruits propagated using traditional farming methods. These include varieties such as Red Chandler, Pink Amoy Chinese of the Pomelo(Citrus gigantis) family, Valencia, seedless Hamlin oranges also known as Perante oranges; the Washington navel and Gillete Navel variety (Citrus cinensis) which are ideal for fresh orange juice; the seedless Satsuma (Japanese orange), Ponkan (Chinese Mandarin) and the Clementine type of the Mandarin (Citrus Reticulata) family, pomelo, calamansi, and other fruit varieties such as rambutan, lychees, longgan and lanzones. More than 200 tons of citrus fruits are harvested and sold in the upland towns of Kasibu, Kayapa, and Ambaguio from July to January each year.
The projected effects of large-scale mineral exploration and extraction by Oxiana can have a negative impact on Kasibu's citrus agricultural production, Bautista said.
Another exploration (allegedly spearheaded by former employees of APMI acting independently from Oceana) is silently creeping to enter Barangay Papaya. Papaya is the only source of water for the booming citrus plantations in the Malabing Valley area now estimated to be producing 7,000 plus metric tons of sweet citrus varieties annually. This yield is still growing as most citrus trees are newly fruiting while some are recently planted.
"Groundwater feeding citrus farms may possibly be contaminated if acidic drainage water or chemical deposits produced during the mining process leaches into the water table and un-mined rocks, or drains from tailings dams and waste rock heaps," Bautista said.
Kalikasan PNE's Bautista also called attention to the fact that the two active mining explorations in the eastern part of Nueva Vizcaya, by MTL Company in Brgy. Runruno, Quezon town and Oxiana Philippines in Pao-Kakidugen in Kasibu town, were also in the vicinity of a critical watershed area.
"Eastern Nueva Vizcaya hosts the Mamparang and Palali Mountain Ranges, the site of the renowned Alayan Cave System and home to very critical forest cover which should be protected. Without it, the watershed of the province will be gone," Bautista said.
Also joining the independent probe are officers of the environmental non-government research organization Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines, and leaders of the nationwide indigenous people's federation Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) and IP Human Rights Watch. The group will be coordinating with local government officials such as Kasibu Mayor Romeo Tayaban and local IP leaders.
The Center for Environmental Concerns and Kalikasan-PNE will lead in gathering data on the current impacts of mining exploration in the area, while KAMP and IP Human Rights Watch will conduct a study on the extent of mining-related human rights violations and the welfare of indigenous people's in the area.
Barangays Pao and Kakidugen is located few kilometers south of the infamous Didipio Gold-Copper Project of Oceana Gold Philippines (formerly of Climax-Arimco and the Australasian Philippines Mining Inc. or APMI). Oceana Gold is the holder of the original 37,000 hectares of FTAA granted by then Pres. Fidel Ramos to Climax-Arimco, which is now wholly absorbed by Oceana Gold of New Zealand.
Oxiana Philippines, Inc. (please do not mistaken "Oceana" from "Oxiana" as they are different entities) is a small exploration venture formerly owned by Oxiana Limited of Australia interested to explore Pao and Kakidugen. Records show that Oxiana Philippines, Inc. is now absorbed by Royalco Resources Limited, also of Australia. However, records at the Baguio field extension office of the SEC revealed that Oxiana Philippines, Inc. has not yet reported or divulged the transfer of ownership from Oxiana Limited to Royalco Resources Limited, Bautista said.
Kalikasan PNE today sets off for Barangay Paquet, in Kasibu, eastern Nueva Vizcaya, on a fact-finding and solidarity mission team from August 30 to September 1, led by Defend Patrimony, a broad alliance against mining liberalization in the Philippines, and Save the Valley, Serve the People, a Kasibu-based local alliance in opposition to the current mining projects, Kalikasan PNE National Coordinator Clemente Bautista said.
The fact-finding mission will probe into the effects of the exploration Project of Oxiana Philippines, Inc. and operation and exploration activities of Oceana Gold in the area, Bautista said. Close to a thousand villagers have sustained a human barricade in the area for several weeks now, in opposition to Oxiana's attempts to bring in drilling equipment to Kasibu.
"We will be looking into the environmental impacts of mining on the community, as well as document human rights violations committed by Oxiana in the course of attempting to break the barricade," Bautista said. The findings, he said, would be disseminated and forwarded by the organizations involved to pro-environment solons in Congress and the Senate by next week for appropriate action.
"The presence of mining firms in Kasibu threatens the ecosystems and the people's welfare and livelihood, especially in the field of citrus fruit production," Bautista said.
Nueva Vizcaya, he noted, is known as the Citrus Capital of the Philippines for the varieties of citrus and orange fruits propagated using traditional farming methods. These include varieties such as Red Chandler, Pink Amoy Chinese of the Pomelo(Citrus gigantis) family, Valencia, seedless Hamlin oranges also known as Perante oranges; the Washington navel and Gillete Navel variety (Citrus cinensis) which are ideal for fresh orange juice; the seedless Satsuma (Japanese orange), Ponkan (Chinese Mandarin) and the Clementine type of the Mandarin (Citrus Reticulata) family, pomelo, calamansi, and other fruit varieties such as rambutan, lychees, longgan and lanzones. More than 200 tons of citrus fruits are harvested and sold in the upland towns of Kasibu, Kayapa, and Ambaguio from July to January each year.
The projected effects of large-scale mineral exploration and extraction by Oxiana can have a negative impact on Kasibu's citrus agricultural production, Bautista said.
Another exploration (allegedly spearheaded by former employees of APMI acting independently from Oceana) is silently creeping to enter Barangay Papaya. Papaya is the only source of water for the booming citrus plantations in the Malabing Valley area now estimated to be producing 7,000 plus metric tons of sweet citrus varieties annually. This yield is still growing as most citrus trees are newly fruiting while some are recently planted.
"Groundwater feeding citrus farms may possibly be contaminated if acidic drainage water or chemical deposits produced during the mining process leaches into the water table and un-mined rocks, or drains from tailings dams and waste rock heaps," Bautista said.
Kalikasan PNE's Bautista also called attention to the fact that the two active mining explorations in the eastern part of Nueva Vizcaya, by MTL Company in Brgy. Runruno, Quezon town and Oxiana Philippines in Pao-Kakidugen in Kasibu town, were also in the vicinity of a critical watershed area.
"Eastern Nueva Vizcaya hosts the Mamparang and Palali Mountain Ranges, the site of the renowned Alayan Cave System and home to very critical forest cover which should be protected. Without it, the watershed of the province will be gone," Bautista said.
Also joining the independent probe are officers of the environmental non-government research organization Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines, and leaders of the nationwide indigenous people's federation Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) and IP Human Rights Watch. The group will be coordinating with local government officials such as Kasibu Mayor Romeo Tayaban and local IP leaders.
The Center for Environmental Concerns and Kalikasan-PNE will lead in gathering data on the current impacts of mining exploration in the area, while KAMP and IP Human Rights Watch will conduct a study on the extent of mining-related human rights violations and the welfare of indigenous people's in the area.
Barangays Pao and Kakidugen is located few kilometers south of the infamous Didipio Gold-Copper Project of Oceana Gold Philippines (formerly of Climax-Arimco and the Australasian Philippines Mining Inc. or APMI). Oceana Gold is the holder of the original 37,000 hectares of FTAA granted by then Pres. Fidel Ramos to Climax-Arimco, which is now wholly absorbed by Oceana Gold of New Zealand.
Oxiana Philippines, Inc. (please do not mistaken "Oceana" from "Oxiana" as they are different entities) is a small exploration venture formerly owned by Oxiana Limited of Australia interested to explore Pao and Kakidugen. Records show that Oxiana Philippines, Inc. is now absorbed by Royalco Resources Limited, also of Australia. However, records at the Baguio field extension office of the SEC revealed that Oxiana Philippines, Inc. has not yet reported or divulged the transfer of ownership from Oxiana Limited to Royalco Resources Limited, Bautista said.
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