OceanaGold may ramp up mining activities in RP

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/168725/OceanaGold-may-ramp-up-mining-activities-in-RP


Mining firm OceanaGold Corp. may expand activities of its ongoing exploration of its gold prospect in Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya

The company was able to renew six exploration permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources late in the second quarter.

In a statement, OceanaGold, whose parent company is an Australian firm, said that various exploration activities may begin in the third quarter.

But despite these planned expansion activities, the company said operations remained subdued while the Didipio project is still undergoing care and maintenance.

OceanaGold president Jose Leviste said that some field work and desk-top based exploration activities were initiated under the assumption that a number of exploration permits are likely to be approved in the near-term.

The company said it continues to review its mining plan for Didipio.

About $120 million has been spent for exploration and development of the mine site while some $200 million is needed to finance construction works.

Oceana Gold holds a financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA) with the Philippine government.

An FTAA is an agreement with the government that allows 100 percent foreign equity in a local mining project. Its mining tenement is located in the municipality of Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya.

The proposed development comprises four years of open mining, followed by at least 11 years of subsequent underground sub-level caving operations, totaling an expected minimum 15 years of processing operations.

The Company holds exploration licenses, license applications, and option agreements in the Surigao Peninsula area of North Eastern Mindanao, including Paco which was granted a tenement, Mayag, Asiga and Manhulayan.

OceanaGold Corp. is a significant Pacific Rim gold producer with projects located in the South Island of New Zealand and in the Philippines. It is listed in the Toronto, Australia and New Zealand Stock Exchange.

OceanaGold has been reported to the Philippine Commission on Human Rights for its injustices and human rights violations committed against local communities and indigenous peoples. The case has been raised to the United Nations' Permanent Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Various articles on a fact finding report can be accessed here.

Unjust house demolitions and displacement can be briefly viewed in the video clip below with Oxfam Australia's investigation.

State of the Indigenous Peoples 2009

(Philippine Indigenous Peoples during SIPA 2009. Photo by LRC-KsK/FoE Phils.)

Quezon City, Philippines–As the nation awaits Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s state of the nation address, over 100 representatives from indigenous organizations and support groups from all over Luzon gathered today , bringing to the table the true state of the indigenous peoples.

“The IP voice has been absent in all previous SONAs,” said Zenaida Hamada-Pawid, an IP delegate from Baguio City. “Through this State of the Indigenous Peoples Address (SIPA) we can discuss our situation in our own words. We will then work towards consolidation of IP leadership, support groups and advocacy groups so as to forward a strong and substantial agenda.”

“Through this SIPA we want to preempt Arroyo’s attempts to paint another rosy picture full of glossy facts and figures and lists of development projects. We want people to know that it is these same projects which are responsible for the many problems indigenous communities face today, from mining to coal plants to large dams,” Ronald Gregorio of Legal Rights and Natural Reources Center-Luzon (LRC-KsK) said.

“Under the Arroyo administration, we have been witness to the intensification of militarization in IP areas. Systematic landgrabbing is happening at an alarming rate to serve the interests of mining, logging and other extractive industries,” Joan Jaime, secretary general of the Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas (KAMP) revealed.

From Capas, Tarlac, leaders Bayani Sumaoang and Lito Diaz from the federation Labayku (Lupon ng mga Katutubong Aeta para sa Bagong Adhikain upang Yumabong ang Kabundukan at Umunlad ang bawat isa) came in the face of a formidable issue. The delineation of their ancestral domain has currently been stalled by a boundary conflict with the Philippine Air Force’s Crow Valley military reservation.

“Gusto po sana naming makaharap ang iba pang grupong katutubo upang makakuha kami ng karanasan at inspirasyon mula sa sarili nila pakikibaka,” Manong Bayani said. The SIPA, organized by LRC-KsK, a research and policy advocacy institution primarily working with IPs, is scheduled specifically to coincide with the Presidents’ yearly State of the Nation Address.

This year’s SIPA, with the theme “Continuing the Historical Struggle for the Right to Self-Determination” is the second, following last year, which was held in Toril, Davao. There are two regional gatherings simultaneously being held in Quezon City for the Luzon communities, and in Cagayan de Oro for the Mindanao communities. “This SIPA is our protest to GMA’s SONA,” says Judy A. Pasimio of LRC.

“This SIPA will also serve as a common platform for indigenous peoples to forward their agenda, and for us advocates to support their struggle for self-determination.” The SIPA 2009 (Luzon) is a 3-day activity at the University of the Philippines College of Social Welfare and Community Development (UP-CSWCD), from July 26-28, 2009.

MAP Oz @ Philippine Times - Australia

Filipinos, Aussies join hands against open-pit mining
27.JUL.09

http://www.philippinetimes.com.au/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=2997&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1759&hn=philippinetimes&he=.com.au

Wednesday last week, Filipino and Australian environmentalist strengthened their alliance as an indication of its united action reproving open-pit mining.

According to the alliance, open pit-mining misuses the Philippines’ natural resources and violates the rights of indigenous peoples in areas where mining occurs.

The newly minted Mining Action Philippines – Australia (MAP-Oz) is composed of various Filipino and Australian groups and organization which aim to monitor, assess, evaluate and expose various environmental and human and indigenous peoples’ rights issues of Australian mining companies in the archipelago.

Meanwhile, the newly minted MAP-Oz slumped up streamers on a bridge along Eastern Freeway in Melbourne stating how open cut mining scars the Earth, and how they are against the Roxby Expansion.

Furthermore, it supports advocacy on providing food for the Filipino people rather than establishing more mining pits in the Philippines.

Convenor of MAP-Oz Rod Galicha of the Philippines’ anti-mining alliance Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) noted that despite wanton environmental degradation, human rights violations and indigenous peoples’ rights abuses, Philippine and Australian companies continue to connive with the government to exploit the country's natural resources.

The group also joined hands with Friends of the Earth – Melbourne (FoE) in the Global Day of Action Against Open-pit Mining, conducted simultaneously around the world by members of Friends of the Earth International especially in Mexico, the Philippines and Canada.

Galicha explained that the Philippine government persists to manipulate environmental policies in favour of the mining law.

This made the mining licenses to be given immediately even without genuine consultation and consent from communities.

Also, the convenor said that open-pit mining has been promoted and causes widespread deforestation and land use conversion. This practice causes 20 to 25 percent of carbon emissions that cause climate change.

For her part, Mia Pepper of FoE elaborated that “Australians should be aware that mining companies like BHP Billiton which put a protected area in danger, Indophil/Xstrata which is continuously being opposed, Central Gold Asia facing opposition everyday in Masbate, OceanaGold challenged by the local government of Nueva Vizcaya for tax issues and opposed by the indigenous communities, Pelican Resources with its Filipino partner that caused the murder of a local official, Royalco creating divisions among indigenous peoples, and the list still continues.”

Pepper said that through AusAID, they can extend help to Filipinos. However, he explained that their fellow Australians with mining investments take advantage of the opportunity of exploiting the resources that makes the poor people in the villages where some of our aid go are being displaced, abused and sometimes their lives at stake.

Thus, she urged the Australians to avoid expediency.

Foreign-owned mining operations in RP doing more harm than good
ALICE GREGORIO-NICOLAS 20.JUL.09

http://www.philippinetimes.com.au/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=2971&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1759&hn=philippinetimes&he=.com.au

Mining companies operating in the Philippines, fifty to sixty per cent of which are owned by Australian companies, may appear to be helping the economy of the Philippines but they are actually not. In fact, big mining companies who have been operating in the Philippines for 10-40 years have only caused massive environmental damage and linked to serious human right abuses. This is according to Rod Galicha, Sites of Struggles Officer of Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), during a forum organised by the Students of Sustainability 2009 (SoS'09) last 9 July 2009 at Monash University.Galicha and Myke Magalang, Executive Director for the Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns, travelled all the way from the Philippines to Australia to serve as main speakers of the forum. The forum tackled the widespread mining in the Philippines by multinational mining companies such as Xstrata and BHP Billiton, and the impacts on communities and the environment.

Galicha and Magalang showed video presentations of the impact of mining in the Philippines. It also showed the Philippine government encouraging partnership with international and local mining companies to beef up the economy to the detriment of the country’s rich natural resources. Aside from affecting the pristine water condition in mining areas, residents are also having skin diseases and other health problems from the mine tailing of abandoned mines.

Existing mines, on the other hand, do not really give lasting financial benefit to the residents or the country in general. It even divides the Filipino community as the debate to keep mining operation or not have created two factions. One is against the mining operation while the other group is pro-mining due to reasons such as employment to local residents.

Galicha also added that Filipino indigenous people are also affected by mining operations. He also noted that there are 991 activists' extrajudicial killings under the Arroyo administration. Twenty four environmental activists out of 991 were killed. Eighteen from the 24 killed were anti-mining activists.The video drew interest from the audience and one even asked how Australians can assist in the mining industry in the Philippines. Galicha said it is best that Australians educate themselves about the effects of mining operations of Australian companies and lobby the politicians here to do something about the unsafe practice. “There is no such thing as responsible mining operation,” Galicha admits. He said there are systems in place here in Australia which should be duplicated in the Philippines. Sadly, it will take time before these are implemented in the Philippines as the government is more interested in attracting more international mining investments rather than putting proper procedures to protect the environment and its people.

Galicha and his network for social development called Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA) under the project ATM is opposing the large-scale mining in the Philippines by BHP. He also represents Sibuyanons Against Mining / Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (SAM/Sibuyan ISLE) which aims to save the 445-square-kilometre Sibuyan Island’s biodiversity, dubbed as the Galapagos of Asia. The two groups are calling for the government to take action to protect the country’s environment and people as continued mining operations by foreign and local companies will seriously exacerbate the current problems brought about by mining.

The devastating effects of mining in the Philippines, according to Galicha, threaten to wreak havoc to the environment and the Filipinos. Yet the government is turning a blind eye to these effects and instead continues to support current 23 mining projects by giving foreign companies tax-free incentives and even military protection in mining areas.

Galicha showed maps of mining locations highlighting the several mining operations in the country affecting the indigenous ancestral domains and watersheds and areas of environmental concern.

MAP-Oz @ ABS-CBN News

Fil Australian activists oppose open-pit mining in RP
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/07/23/09/fil-australian-activists-oppose-open-pit-mining-rp

Filipino and Australian environmentalist groups on Wednesday held a united action condemning open-pit mining that exploits the Philippines’ natural resources and violates the rights of indigenous peoples.

Newly formed Mining Action Philippines– Australia (MAP-Oz) dropped banners that stated 'Open cut mining scars the Earth, No to Roxby Expansion' and 'Philippines: Yes to Food, No to Mining' on a bridge along Eastern Freeway in Melbourne, Australia.

“Despite wanton environmental degradation, human rights violations and indigenous peoples’ rights abuses, Philippine and Australian companies continue to connive with the government to exploit our natural resources,” Rod Galicha of the Philippines’ anti-mining alliance Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), convenor of MAP-Oz.

MAP-Oz is composed of various Filipino and Australian groups and organization which aim to monitor, assess, evaluate and expose various environmental and human and indigenous peoples’ rights issues of Australian mining companies in the Philippines.

The group joined Friends of the Earth– Melbourne (FoE) in the Global Day of Action Against Open-pit Mining which was done simultaneously around the world by members of Friends of the Earth International especially in Mexico, the Philippines and Canada.

Galicha said the Philippine government continues to harmonize environmental policies in favor of the mining law “thus mining licenses are being given immediately without genuine consultation and consent from communities”.

“Open-pit mining has been promoted and causes widespread deforestation and land use conversion that causes 20 to 25 percent of carbon emissions that cause climate change. We never learned our lesson,” he said.

Mia Pepper of FoE said that “Australians should be aware that mining companies like BHP Billiton which put a protected area in danger, Indophil/Xstrata which is continuously being opposed, Central Gold Asia facing opposition everyday in Masbate, OceanaGold challenged by the local government of Nueva Vizcaya for tax issues and opposed by the indigenous communities, Pelican Resources with its Filipino partner that caused the murder of a local official, Royalco creating divisions among indigenous peoples, and the list still continues”.

“Through AusAID, we help the Filipinos, but our fellow Australians with mining investments take the opportunity of exploiting their resources and these poor people in the villages where some of our aid go are being displaced, abused and sometimes their lives at stake. Australians should avoid expediency,” Pepper said.

MAP-Oz @ CBCP News

Filipinos, Australians denounce 'destructive' mining in RP

http://cbcpnews.com/?q=node/9776

MELBOURNE, Australia, July 24, 2009—Filipino and Australian environmental activists jointly condemned the "destructive" mining practices in the Philippines advocated by Australian companies in a protest that was simultaneously done in other parts of world.

Activists unfurled banners of protests on a bridge along Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway, July 22, denouncing open-cut mining in the Philippines with words, “Open-cut mining scars the Earth, No to Roxby Expansion” and “Philippines: Yes to Food, No to Mining.”

The protest was also staged in Mexico, Philippines and Canada by members of Friends of the Earth International.

An anti-mining alliance of various groups and organizations called Mining Action Philippines-Australia (MAP-Oz), joined Friends of the Earth-Melbourne (FoE) in a Global Day of Action against open-pit mining.

MAP-Oz convenor and Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) officer Rodne Galicha denounced the trampling of human rights and reckless ecological destruction caused by mining.

“Despite wanton environmental degradation, human rights violations and indigenous peoples’ rights abuses, Philippine and Australian companies continue to connive with the government to exploit our natural resources,” Galicha, in a media release sent to CBCPNews, said.

Citing Philippine government’s failure to protect the people’s right to a sustainable livelihood and safe environment, Galicha further accused the government of implementing laws that favor mining companies.

“The Philippine government still denies these abuses and violations, and continues to harmonize environmental policies in favor of the mining law, thus mining licenses are being given immediately without genuine consultation and consent from communities,” Galicha said, adding:

“Open-pit mining has been promoted and causes widespread deforestation and land use conversion that causes 20 to 25 percent of carbon emissions that cause climate change. We never learned our lesson,” he lamented.

In the same media release posted on MAP-oz blog, Australian Mia Pepper, an FoE member, said Australians should be conscious of real issues behind anti-mining advocacies in the Philippines.

“Australians should be aware of mining companies like BHP Billiton which put a protected area in danger, Indophil/Xstrata which is continuously being opposed, Central Gold Asia facing opposition everyday in Masbate, OceanaGold challenged by the local government of Nueva Vizcaya for tax issues and opposed by the indigenous communities, Pelican Resources with its Filipino partner that caused the murder of a local official, Royalco creating divisions among indigenous peoples, and the list still continues,” Pepper said.

The environmentalist criticized Australian investors for exploiting people and resources in pursuit of their own convenience.

“Through AusAID, we help the Filipinos, but our fellow Australians with mining investments take the opportunity of exploiting their resources and these poor people in the villages where some of our aid go are being displaced, abused and sometimes their lives at stake. Australians should avoid expediency,” she stressed.

MAP-Oz is a newly-formed alliance of various Filipino and Australian groups and organizations. The group monitors, assesses, evaluates and exposes various environmental, human and indigenous peoples’ rights issues of Australian mining companies in the Philippines. (Pinky Barrientos, FSP)

Aussie and Filipino Activists Say No to Open Pit Mining

22 July 2009

Melbourne, VIC, Australia

In the chilly morning of Wednesday, on a bridge along Eastern Freeway, one of Melbourne’s important freeways, Australian and Filipino environmental activists dropped banners condemning open-cut mining saying 'Open cut mining scars the Earth, No to Roxby Expansion' and 'Philippines: Yes to Food, No to Mining'.

The newly formed Mining Action Philippines – Australia (MAP-Oz) composed of various Filipino and Australian groups and organisaitons, with aims of monitoring, assessing, evaluating and exposing various environmental and human and indigenous peoples rights issues of Australian mining companies in the Philippines, joined Friends of the Earth – Melbourne (FoE) in the Global Day of Action Against Open-pit Mining which is being simultaneously done around the world by members of Friends of the Earth International especially in Mexico, the Philippines and Canada.

‘Despite wanton environmental degradation, human rights violations and indigenous peoples’ rights abuses, Philippine and Australian companies continue to connive with the government to exploit our natural resources’, Rod Galicha of the Philippines’ anti-mining alliance. Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), convenor of MAP-Oz.

‘The Philippine government still denies these abuses and violations, and continues to harmonise environmental policies in favour of the mining law, thus mining licenses are being given immediately without genuine consultation and consent from communities. Open-pit mining has been promoted and causes widespread deforestation and land use conversion that causes 20 to 25 percent of carbon emissions that cause climate change. We never learned our lesson’, he continues.

Mia Pepper of FoE says that ‘Australians should be aware of mining companies like BHP Billiton which put a protected area in danger, Indophil/Xstrata which is continuously being opposed, Central Gold Asia facing opposition everyday in Masbate, OceanaGold challenged by the local government of Nueva Vizcaya for tax issues and opposed by the indigenous communities, Pelican Resources with its Filipino partner that caused the murder of a local official, Royalco creating divisions among indigenous peoples, and the list still continues.’

‘Through AusAID, we help the Filipinos, but our fellow Australians with mining investments take the opportunity of exploiting their resources and these poor people in the villages where some of our aid go are being displaced, abused and sometimes their lives at stake. Australians should avoid expediency,’ she stressed.

Recently, former World Bank environmental scientist Dr. Robert Goodland and Clive Wicks of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in their book ‘Philippines: Mining or Food?” said that mining threatens Philippine food security and the government and mining companies should make a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) before implementing mining projects. They further recommend moratoria of large-scale mining until issues are resolved and an alternative mining law passed.

MAP-Oz Online

Welcome to Mining Action Philippines - Australia (MAP-Oz) online!

This will serve as online resource for those who are interested to campaign on the issue of Australian mining in the Philippines and call for greater accountability of Australian mining companies operating overseas.

MAP-Oz was conceived in November 2008 in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Interested members was formally convened in July 2009.

Our supporters and members are various Australian and Filipino religious groups, non-governmental and environmental organisations, unions and concerned individuals.

Join us in our first activity, The Global Day of Action Against Open Pit Mining, on 22 July 2009.

To join us in our campaign, please e-mail bar_barrick@yahoo.com.au or kalikasan101@gmail.com.

By the way, please watch the following video clip for a bird's eye view of the present mining situation in the Philippines.