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Saturday, September 02, 2006
Canadian mining firm invests P500M in Zambo Sur
By Al Jacinto
A Canadian mining firm, TVI Resource Development Inc., said it will expand its current operation in the southern Philippines and has began exploring a remote mountain side in the Province of Zamboanga del Sur.
"We have already invested more than P500 million and is currently exploring for gold and other minerals in the hinterland village of Balabag in the town of Bayug," Eugene Mateo, TVI president, said.
TVI is currently operating a gold mine inside a 500-hectare area in Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province.
Filipino environment and top government officials had previously cited the mining firm for having one of the cleanest and safest mining facilities in the country.
Mateo said it would take them at least one year and a half to complete the exploration in Bayug town to see if it is feasible to mine in the area, which is bigger than Canatuan mining site.
"We have a lot of things to do in Bayug town, but we can guarantee that the environment would not be affected or polluted by our operations. We follow strict international mining standards to ensure safe and responsible mining," he said, adding, some 650 people, including 50 Filipino geologists, are now working for TVI in the exploration project.
Mateo said they were also planning to explore gold in Compostela Valley in Davao province, southeast of Zamboanga del Sur.
TVI spent more than P200 million since 2004 for its environmental management initiatives in Siocon town, where it also built new roads and health centers for the villagers.
The Siocon Subano Association Inc., (SSAI), the largest group of indigenous people in Zamboanga del Norte, is also supporting the mining operation. Its legal counsel, Subanon lawyer Pablo Bernardo, said TVI has spent millions of pesos in community projects in Siocon that included schools, clinics and bridges, to benefit the locals.
TVI had entered into a production sharing agreement with the government even before the Subanon people obtained their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) under the Indigenous People's Rights Act in 2003.
SSAI is recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous People as the legal representative of Canatuan CADT holders. TVI signed a memorandum of understanding with the SSAI in October 2001 to develop their ancestral domain as a gesture of good faith.
TVI claimed to have the support of the majority in Canatuan, which has a population of several thousands. It currently employs more than 650 mostly Subanon tribesmen, plus several hundreds more in other indirect services.
Mateo said they paid more than P30 million in taxes to the government, aside from millions of pesos in Subano royalty tax, since last year.
TVI started its mining operations in 2004 in Siocon, nearly a decade after it obtained its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with the government in 1996. It is currently into gold and silver mining and plans to extract copper and zinc this year.
President Gloria Arroyo's aide and former Mindanao Development Council chairman Jesus Dureza had previously inspected the mine site and was surprised how clean the TVI's milling area in Canatuan. "Everything is in order, the milling area is clean, and we are really surprised by the strict implementation of safety and the TVI's protection of the environment," Dureza said.
President Arroyo thanked Clifford James, TVI's chief executive officer, for the company's long-standing commitment to the
Philippines.
TVI is a participant in the three-day 15th Mindanao Business Conference in Zamboaga City that started Friday. It's audio-visual presentation of mining operations in Zamboanga del Norte was applauded by some 200 traders and government representatives because of its world-class milling in Canatuan and the development it brought to the area that benefitted hundreds of tribesmen.
(September 2, 2006 issue)
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