Canatuan Indigenous Leaders Call Miner's Announcement To Stop Gold Project A ‘Cheap PR Stunt’: Inside Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY — Calling the announcement of the Canadian–backed mining firm TVI Resource Development Philippines Incorporated that it has ended its $25–million Canatuan gold and silver project in Zamboanga del Norte as “cheap public relations stunt”, an indigenous leader said the mining firm “never stops telling us lies”.

Tribal chieftain Fernando Mudai, the president of Pigsalabukan Bangsa Subanen (PBS), in a text message said “copper, zinc and other kinds of mining operations are all the same as it destroys our sacred ground and a continuing violation of our human rights.”

“Ang among altar gihimo ra nila nga huwaran sa makalanag nga hugaw (They turned our altar into dumpsites of their toxic wastes.),” the tribal chieftain said.

The Canadian–backed mining firm, in a statement, announced that on April 9 the “two ball mills of the Canatuan gold–silver project which had been grinding ore continuously for nearly four years stopped turning.”

The company is now focusing on extracting zinc and copper from the same pit, as it expects $3 million in monthly cash flow in the next four years, the company said in a statement last week.

In 1996, TVI obtained a 25–year mineral production sharing agreement with the Philippine government. The deal gives the miner exclusive rights to explore gold, silver, copper, zinc and other minerals within a 508–hectare area.

TVI started its silver and gold mine in Siocon in 2005, and it was a year later when gold and silver production hit a record level, generating a cash flow of more than $17 million, up by more than a third.

The mine achieved record production of 56,880 ounces, based on an average 1,620 dry metric tons of ore milled per day, for a total of 591,180 metric tons during the year.

Revenues reached more than $39 million, and the Canatuan project’s contribution to net income amounted to almost $11 million, or about a quarter. But the company’s profit from its gold–silver project started to hit the bottom last year.

The mining company, according to the tribal chieftain, is always “telling us lies and not even a single instance that they tell the truth.”

“The truth is that the indigenous people in the area are the real losers at the end,” Mudai declared, adding that “we are bringing this to the attention of the international community for the violations of our rights and the posterity of our resources by the mining firm with the help of the government.”

Early last month, Mudai, together with Tribal chieftain Jose Anoy, addressed the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (UN CERD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Anoy told UN CERD: “We are here because we could not get justice in the Philippines. We have come here to explain what happened and seek justice and action.”

Also addressing the UN CERD, Mudai said, “We have this response from the Philippine government, but whatever they answer the reality is that our sacred mountain is already destroyed.”

The UN CERD is responsible for monitoring all States obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). It held its 72nd session from February 18 to March 7 in Geneva.

“We are waiting for the result of the case we filed before the UN CERD against TVI and the government,” Mudai said in dialect.

The UN CERD is their only hope to get justice, Mudai intimated.

“We don’t expect to get justice in the Philippines because there is no room for us indigenous peoples here,” he lamented. (By Antonio M. Manaytay / www.insidemindanao.com)

Subanon Rice Terraces, Hailed In South RP

Subanon native, Fernandez Anda shows grains harvested from rice terraces in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern RP. Anda, (far right)also poses with TVIRD personnel (from left) CReDO Information Officer Jose Dagala, CReDO Canatuan Manager Thess Limpin, and Vice President for Philippine Operations Yulo Perez. (Photos by Rene Patangan)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 03, 2007) – Subanon native Fernandez Anda’s face lit up when he saw us emerged from the bushes and clump of trees and into the clearing.

He eagerly welcomed us to his thatched hut and waited for us to catch our breath after an hour’s trek to the steep and rugged mountains of Gulangan, a hamlet in the town.

He was thrilled to tell us his story.Our group was headed by Yulo Perez, TVIRD vice president for Philippine Operations; and Thess Limpin, TVIRD manager for Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO). We were joined by CReDO Information Officer Jose Dagala, and Social Development Consultant German Romano.

Barely three months since our last visit to this piece of land in the Subanon ancestral domain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province, Anda’s farm is now a picture of abundance. What used to be a muddy terrain is now covered with yellow-green rice stalks, with their golden grains standing out under the blazing sun. The model rice terraces project is a success.

Anda, 51, is the first beneficiary of the Farmer-Instructor Technician (FIT) program, a livelihood through agro-forestry component of the Social Development and Management Plan for the indigenous people (IP) hosts of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD). The company has been, since mid-2004, operating gold and silver mine in Mount Canatuan, also in Siocon town, and will begin producing copper and zinc by the middle of 2008.

The success of Anda’s farming can easily be adopted or duplicated by means of irrigated multi-cropping scheme using the rice terraces farming technology, the same technology applied by generations of the Ifugao natives in the mountainous terrains of Northern Philippines.

“Dako kaayo akong kalipay nga nahimong magmalampuson kining akong uma gamit ang teknolohiya nga gitudlo kanako sa TVI(RD). Dili na gayud kami kinahanglang magbalhin-balhin pa sanglit mahimo kaming magtanum ug mag-ani makatulo matag tuig dinhi lamang sa mao ra gihapong umahan ug igo ra usab ang abot nga pangkunsumo hangtud sa sunod ani.”

(I am extremely pleased that my farm is successful using the technology that TVIRD had taught me. We do not need to move from one place to another anymore since we can plant and harvest three times a year in the same paddies; and the yield is enough until the next harvest),” said Anda.

“Labaw sa tanan, malipayon usab ako tungod kay interesado ug ganahan usab mosuhid ang akong mga kauban ug kadugong Subano niining pamaagi sa panguma. Subay sa programa, komitado ako nga itudlo usab kanila ang akong nabatonan nga kahibalo.”

“(More than anything, I am happy because my fellow Subanons are interested and would like to follow the farming techniques that I used here. Under the program, I am committed to teach and transfer to them the skills I have learned),” he said.

The initial plotting and forming of the second rice terraces project have actually begun on a land owned by Rene Tii, another Subanon holder of the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title, adjacent to Anda’s plot.

Unable to contain his pride for his feat, Anda shared his plans with us: “Plano nako nga palapdan ug padak-an pa ang akong uma para sa sunod nga tanum aron makabaligya na sa abot niini. Sa pagkakaron, igo lamang ang abot niini para makaon sa akong pamilya sanglit testing pa lamang kini (I plan to expand my farm for the next planting season so I would be able to sell its produce. For now, the harvest would just be enough to feed my family since it is still in the trial stage).”

In the past, Anda, like most Subanons, would always worry every harvest time. The yield was usually scant and could not be sustained until the next harvest. And under this method, they could only harvest rice once a year.

“Pinaagi niining teknolohiya, ako masaligon nga dili magutman ang akong pamilya ug makabaligya pa sa abot sa mosunod nga mga pag-ani (Through this technology, I am assured that my family will not go hungry and could even sell my produce in the succeeding harvests),” Anda stressed.

After a few more minutes of rest, our group followed Anda’s lead as he descended to the lower portion of the rice terraces. It’s harvest time. (Rene Patangan)

Subanon Youths Host Feeding Program For Kids In Southern Philippines

A Subanon boy distributes hot cup of chicken porridge as other children pose for photograph; and inset, Jumel Gumamay, a beneficiary of medical mission of TVIRD in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines. (Rene Patangan)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – Jumel Gumamay, an eight-year old Subanon native, rarely gets to taste poultry, meat, or fresh fish.

In the poor hinterland village of Tabayo in Siocon town where Jumel and his parents live, meals are often in the form of root crops or mashed green bananas, and on some occasions, dried fish. As a result, many local children aged two to 12 are malnourished or undernourished like Jumel.

But thanks to a newly formed group of teenagers and young adults who call themselves the Subanon Youth Organization, Jumel and some 500 children in and around their ancestral domain had the chance to enjoy several nourishing cupfuls of arroz caldo (chicken porridge) during the SYO feeding program that coincided with the International Youth Day celebration.

"Lami kaayo ang lugaw nga naay sagol nga manok. Hinaut unta nga sige nga naay in-ani nga arroz caldo (the porridge with chicken meat is so good. I wish that we will always have arroz caldo every day)," Jumel said happily as he sat with his second serving.

The night before the feeding program, SYO also sponsored a well-attended dance-for-all and fund-raising event dubbed "Pabayle sa Malusok" (dance party) to finance the group's basketball court project, which SYO members hope will help promote youth development through sports and fight against substance abuse.

Employees of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. helped raise funds for the SYO feeding program organized by Rocelle Magpayo, TVIRD Program Officer on Human Rights Initiatives, and Jaja Bangkas, Human Resources Officer, at the company's corporate headquarters in Makati City. "This is really great. The Subanon youths want to make a difference, and we in TVIRD believe that these young people, given the motivation and support, can contribute a lot in effecting positive change in, and in achieving sustainable development for, their indigenous community," Magpayo said.

TVIRD operates a gold-copper mine in Mount Canatuan in Siocon town under a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with the Philippine government.

"Duyog sa among pagsaulog sa International Youth Day, mao ang paghatag sa pagpakabana dili lamang sa susama namo nga mga kabatan-onan apan lakip na niini ang mga kabataan sanglit sila ang sumusunod nga henerasyon. Angayan nato sila nga hatagan sa maayong pagtagad sama sa gihatag nato sa atong kaugalingon (Our celebration of the International Youth Day is not only limited to giving attention to our fellow Subanon youths but to children as well since they represent the next generation. We should take care of them as much as we take care of ourselves)," SYO President Regino Tumangkis told his peers.

SYO was formerly known as the Canatuan Youth Achievers (CYA), which was organized last year by the Green Earth Multi-Purpose Cooperative (GEMPCO), a consultancy group hired by TVIRD to assist in the implementation of its livelihood programs. CYA disbanded when GEMPCO's contract with the company expired.

Shortly after TVIRD consolidated its Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), the company encouraged former members of CYA to undergo leadership training and to participate in a summer youth camp in the hope of strengthening their leadership and organizational skills. The renewed vitality that SYO members have been exhibiting in recent months indicates bright prospects for young residents of Canatuan and nearby communities.

"Among dakong pasalamat ngadto sa TVIRD ug sa mga empleyado niini tungod sa gihatag niini nga suporta sa among organisasyon. Hinaut nga kini magapadayon pa. (Our deepest gratitude to TVIRD and its employees for the support they are giving to our organization. We hope that they will continue doing so)," Tumangkis said. (Rene Patangan)

For First Time, Indigenous People In South RP Get Medical Help

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE (Mindanao Examiner / 01 June) - Unmindful of the swirling dusts and the scorching tropical sun, a medical and dental team formed by the mining company TVI Resource Development Philippines (TVIRD), provided much-needed health care services to a remote indigenous mountain village in Zamboanga del Norte in the southern Philippines whose residents – many of whom are anti-mining advocates – had, until recently, protested the company’s presence in the area.

The team launched its first in a series of humanitarian missions in Paduan Ridge, some 13 kilometers from the company’s gold and silver project in Mount Canatuan.

The TVIRD Canatuan Project lies within the 6,253-hectare ancestral domain owned by the Subanon indigenous people in Siocon town.

Throngs of Subanon families trooped to the community tribal hall to avail themselves of the free consultation, medicines, vitamins, food supplements, tooth extraction and circumcision.

The mission, organized by TVIRD’s Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), also administered oriental cures recognized by the World Health Organization. These include acupuncture, reflexology, moxibustion (an oriental medicine therapy utilizing moxa, or mugwort herb) and ventusa (a Chinese-inspired healing method aimed at removing bad blood in the body).

Alex Clarabal, a CReDO Community Officer, led other trained staff members in administering these cures.

Company physician Ramil Ignacio, speaking before the more than 100 indigenous people who crowded the hall, advised the Subanon community that good health is the real key to development.

"Ang tinuod nga bahandi dili mao ang salapi o bulawan nga atong makuha sa palibot, apan ang maayong panglawas. Angayan nato kini nga alimahan tungod kay pag-antus ang ikadulot niini ug kalisod kun kita magsakit na."

"The ultimate wealth is not the money or gold that we get from around us, but excellent health. We should take care of our health because it would bring about suffering and hardship when we eventually get sick," he said.

Ignacio is a mainstay at the TVIRD-supported Canatuan community clinic, which provides health care to both company employees and Subanon villagers.

Before TVIRD began its operations in Mount Canatuan in mid-2004, residents had to travel at least four hours through inhospitable and dangerous terrain to get medical attention.

The TVIRD medical team was complemented by Miguel Neri II, a dentist from the provincial government of adjacent Zamboanga Sibugay, during the four-day medical mission.

Apart from Paduan Ridge, the team also went to Solonsangan, a hamlet in Tanuman village and Skyline New Village, also within the Siocon ancestral domain.

"Malipayon kami ug mabulahan nga nahodangat dinhi ang TVI aron sa paglusad, sa medical mission, alang sa mga apektadong komunidad. Mao pa kini'y pinakauna nga adunay programang-medikal nga nahiabot dinhi sa among lugar."

"Among gikalipay ang pag-abot ninyo dinhi alang sa pagtunol sa nang-unang serbisyo-medikal," one member of the Paduan indigenous Council of Elders, said.

"We are very happy and fortunate that TVI came here to our place to launch their medical mission for impact communities. This is the first time that a medical outreach program ever reached our place. We welcome your coming here to deliver basic medical services."

For some time, residents of Paduan had been resisting the TVIRD’s attempts to bring social and medical services to the area. A bailiwick of anti-mining advocates, Paduan proved difficult for CReDO personnel to help.

Subsequently, village elders, seeing CReDO’s persistence and their social development projects in neighboring communities, felt TVIRD’s sincerity and allowed the mission into Paduan.

Some 400 Subanons benefited from the company’s medical and dental missions in four of its impact communities.

TVIRD's presence in Canatuan has been largely supported by many Subanon and government officials because of livelihood opportunities and development projects being undertaken by the company in Siocon town.

But there are also rag-tag groups, mostly composed of anti-mining activists from other provinces, allegedly paid by foreign organizations to oppose the operation of TVIRD in Zamboanga del Norte. Some of the money allegedly went to the pockets of their leaders. (With a report from Rene Patangan and Juan Magtanggol)

TVI Mining Firm Disputes Report!

MANILA – Canadian mining firm TVI announced on Wednesday that, while it applauds the mission and objectives set out in the recently published Rights & Democracy Report, entitled "Human Rights Impact Assessments for Foreign Investment Projects", the company is very critical of the flawed execution of the Philippines Case Study contained in the report.

TVI Pacific voluntarily participated in the Philippines Case Study, as the company is proud of its achievements in advancing human rights in the communities in which it is active in the Philippines.

The company believes that further progress in relation to human rights and the development of indigenous peoples is attainable with the benefit of an open dialogue involving interested parties and constructive input from objective third parties.

TVI Pacific is supportive of the Rights & Democracy goal to develop and test a methodology for human rights impact assessments for foreign investment projects and proposes to adopt a modified Human Rights Impact Assessment Methodology to augment the existing Social Impact Assessment approach for project scoping and development.

However, the Philippines Case Study included in the Report is, in the company's view, seriously flawed and factually incorrect in a number of important respects.

The case study was prepared not directly by Rights & Democracy, but rather by a "research team", which consisted of well-known opponents of the mining industry in general and TVI Pacific's Canatuan project in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province in particular.

Predictably, the case study evidences a biased view of TVI Pacific's operations in the Philippines and completely ignores the positive effects of its numerous initiatives to improve the well-being and standard of living of the indigenous population in the area surrounding its Canatuan mine and its efforts to minimize the environmental impact of mining operations at the area.

"We expect it is more than simple coincidence that the conclusions and recommendations set out in the Philippines Case Study coincide with positions advocated by members of the "research team" over the past decade", noted Cliff James, President and Chief Executive Officer of TVI Pacific.

"Those organizations have consistently taken positions adverse to TVI Pacific over an extended period of time and the Philippines Case Study included in the Report provided them with another forum to propagate their agenda.

A central feature of that agenda is the prevention of new foreign financed mining projects in the Philippines, such as TVI's Canatuan project, and the repeal of the Philippines Mining Act, which certain of the members of the "research team" unsuccessfully challenged before the Philippines courts.

Not surprisingly, the "research team" largely ignored the very positive benefits that our presence in the Philippines has produced in the areas of human rights, health, education, security, employment, standard of living, culture, housing and freedom of association, all of which would be adversely affected if we were to suspend our operations at Canatuan as they wish.

In the report, Rights & Democracy indicated that it is not in a position to verify the facts stated in the case studies and disclaimed responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information set out in those case studies.

Having regard to the ideological and economic agendas of the groups comprising the Philippines "research team", a biased approach to the Philippines Case Study was foreseeable and we are disappointed that Rights & Democracy did not take steps to ensure a balanced, objective approach."

A more objective review of the human rights impact of the project would have included an assessment of the following initiatives introduced by TVI in the following areas:

Right to Health: Including the provision of a hospital; Operation Smile (that repaired a widespread harelip affliction); prevention of maternal and infant mortality; sanitation programs; and many more

Right to Education: Nine company-paid teachers teaching in six schools; 19 college scholars; 12 students receiving educational assistance; have provided schools and classrooms, and school supplies, computers and other instructional materials and equipment, continuing Indigenous People capacity building

Right to Life and Security: The security force has served as a deterrent to attacks from armed groups operating in the area making residents more mobile and safe even at night

Right to Work: Reference the large number of Subanons in active employment; the employment multiplier in the area; the on-the-job and pre-employment training

Right to an Adequate Standard of Living - In addition to wages and employment: the livelihood programs, the entrepreneurial developments, the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, transportation, and more

Right to Culture: Reference the program of Subanon cultural promotion, art workshops, youth camp focusing on cultural promotion, community museum

Right to Self-determination: The representatives of the majority of the indigenous community, supported by the majority, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement that provides a Royalty of 1% of gross revenues and many other benefits and rights

Right to Housing: The company is constructing the new Tanuman village and other housing projects

Respect for the Right of Freedom of Association: Recognition of both new and traditional institutions and the dignity of the indigenous leaders: the Council of Elders, the Siocon Subanon Association Inc., the Siocon Subanon Women's Association Inc., the Community Youth Achievers

It is also important, from a human rights perspective, that the presence of TVI has intensified and is continuing to increase the presence of government and government services in a location where the State was previously absent.

Among the mechanisms to achieve this goal has been a partnership of TVI and the local government to deliver a number of joint projects for the benefit of the community, including a spillway to facilitate transportation to the Municipality, and the promotion of sports and community projects.

”That said,” James said, “our activities are a work-in-progress and we have made significant advances since the time of the study. Our interaction with the Canadian team from Rights and Democracy has strengthened our implementation of rights sensitive programming.“

“In addition, we share the sensitivity of all right-thinking people to the issue of conflict and armed security in Mindanao; we are working to implement the principles of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights; and we are working in a number of ways to contribute to demilitarization of the region - from the provision of economic development and jobs, to rethinking security management.”

Among other things, TVIRD recently appointed a Vice President of Social Commitment, Feliece I. Yeban, who was previously a professor of Human Rights Education and was once deputy chair of Amnesty International Philippines.

Yeban has complete responsibility for all of TVIRD's social development and community relations initiatives in the Philippines.

The company's social commitments program is being fashioned within a human rights paradigm in keeping with the Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with regard to Human Rights (the "UN Norms for Business").

TVI Pacific noted that its disappointment with the Report also extends to a failure on the part of Rights & Democracy to uphold its commitment to TVI to provide a draft copy of the Report to the Company for comment, and to arrange a meeting with the Philippines "research team" for discussion, prior to finalization of the Philippines Case Study.

Allowing interested parties to comment on a draft report is also identified as an essential component of the methodology described by Rights & Democracy in the Report.

Step 7 of that methodology, as set out in the Report, reads, in part, as follows: "The draft report will be circulated for comment among all parties.

The nature of unresolved disputes and should be clearly articulated and included in the final report, but the research team maintains responsibility for the final content."

Despite repeated requests, TVI Pacific was not provided with a draft copy of the report for comment, but rather received a copy of the final report on May 28.

TVI Pacific Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian mining company focused on exploring for and producing precious and base metals within district scale systems in Asia.

In the Philippines, TVI's most advanced project, the Canatuan Mine (the first foreign-invested, new, mining project in the Philippines since the passage of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995) began mining and milling operations in mid-2004, producing gold and silver dore through its affiliate TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Ltd. ("TVIRD").

In 2006, TVIRD received a completed NI 43-101 feasibility study on the Canatuan Sulphide project prepared by Norwest Corporation.

The report has been filed with certain securities regulatory authorities in Canada and is available at the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The Norwest study addresses the copper-zinc bearing massive sulphide zone, or lower portion of the Canatuan Deposit. Construction of the Sulphide Project at Canatuan is now underway.

In addition, TVIRD holds a 2.5% NSR on the Philippine-based Rapu Rapu project operated by Lafayette Mining Ltd. Exploration in the Philippines is being conducted at Canatuan, in an effort to expand TVIRD's mineral resource base and to find new deposits, at Balabag and at other areas which management of TVI view as compelling exploration properties.

TVI also has a Drilling Segment consisting of Exploration Drilling Corporation ("EDCO"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TVI Pacific Inc. based in the Philippines, and Hunan Pacific Drilling ("HPD"), a segment of HPGEI based in China, which generates revenue from contract drilling.

When Dreams Come True...

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - Antonio Feliciano is a surgeon with a social conscience and despite his hectic schedule, he finds time to share his many blessings with the less fortunate.

Affectionately called “Dr Bonjing” by his friends and patients, he is active in civic organizations.

A couple of years ago, Dr. Bonjing and like-minded medical doctors from Zamboanga City in Southern Philippines formed the Jerome Foundation, Inc., an NGO dedicated to providing free treatment to those afflicted with harelip or split lip condition.

Collectively, they dreamed of a world with less physically deformed children.

One day, Dewayne Chambers, a gruff-speaking American who shuttles between Davao and Mount Canatuan in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province gave a ride to a group of boys out to pick fallen dead branches for firewood.

He noticed that one of the boys, Rommel (not his real name), had a very charming and friendly face marred by harelip.

Chambers told a colleague that a mining company extracting gold and silver from Canatuan should at least be able to give Rommel, and other kids similarly afflicted, a brighter future by making it possible for Rommel to undergo reconstructive surgery. Chambers is Special Projects manager of that company, TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD).

Fatima is 18-years old. She is a Tausug, a Muslim native in Sulu, but her family has settled in Sta. Maria village in Siocon. She used to go to school, but stopped when she could no longer stand the jeers and ridicule she received from her classmates because of her harelip condition.

She dreamed of the day when she could put forward a normal face. Somehow, there was an unseen hand that wove these separate strands of dreams together. A joint team of personnel from the Rural Health Unit (RHU) of Siocon, the Canatuan Community Clinic and the TVIRD Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO) staff worked together to identify children with harelip condition. They then got in touch with the Jerome Foundation, Inc. to work out the schedules for operation.

Early this year, a dozen children, accompanied by their parents and the joint RHU-TVIRD team, boarded the bus from Siocon to Zamboanga City. They were divided into two groups; one proceeded to the Zamboanga Doctor’s Hospital and the others to the Ciudad Medical de Zamboanga. They were examined by Jerome Foundation doctors.

Unfortunately, one patient could not be operated on because he had a cough.

The children underwent cheilopasty, as the surgical procedure to repair the harelip condition is called, during the next two days. After an overnight rest in the hospital, they were all discharged.

Several months later, Chambers again lobbied for another round of cheiloplasty to facilitate the surgery of a Subano child, Jumel, whom Chambers befriended and became fond of.

Consequently, CReDO and the Canatuan Clinic scouted again for more children with the same physical deformities within TVIRD’s host and impact communities.

The scouting team found five more children, among them Dwight Lane, the five-year old son of Mario, a Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary serviceman assigned to secure Canatuan.

And early this month, Chambers’ little Subano buddy, as well as Dwight and four other children, finally realized their dream: a harelip surgery that their parents admitted they could not afford to finance.

Leticia, Jumel’s mother, was teary-eyed after the operation: “Kun wala pa ang TVI, dili gayud mahitabo nga matahi ang bungi sa akong anak. Mahal kini ug dili gayud namo makaya ang gasto.
Salamat TVI sa paghatag ug maayong kaugmaon sa akong anak, (If not for TVIRD, it would not have been possible for my child to undergo harelip surgery. It is very expensive and we could not afford it. Thank you TVIRD for giving our child a brighter future).

Mario was also nearly in tears when he saw his only child, Dwight, after the surgery.

“Salamat sa pagpakabana sa TVI ngadto sa mga kabataan nga adunay problema sama sa akong anak…Dili nako makalimtan ang pagtabang nga gihatag niini sa akong anak (Thank you for TVIRD’s concern for children with the same predicament as my son. I will never forget the help given to my child),”Aclao said.

Recently, CReDO personnel received this text message from Fatima: “Thank you for the help you gave us. I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with that condition. Without your help, my dream would not have come true.”

Indeed, the dream of Dr Bonjing and his fellow doctors in the Jerome Foundation has given many souls the inspiration to help, and many young people plenty of reasons to smile. (With reports from Oscar Covarrubias and Rene Patangan)

TVI Nets C$2.4 Million Q1 In 2007

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Canadian mining firm, TVI Resource Development Inc. (TVIRD) has reported a C$2.4 million (P102 million) net income in the first quarter of this year, up by 67% compared to the same period of last year with C$1.4 million.

Based on its quarterly report, the mineral company also posted total operating revenue of $10.5 million compared with $8.8 million in 2006 and cash flow from operations of $1.3 million compared with $2.7 million.

The turnaround was accounted for largely by positive effect of the company's drilling and gold extraction performances demonstrated in April, during which a daily average of 207 gold equivalent ounces ("AuEqOzs") was produced, which was significantly higher than the average daily production of 148 AuEqOzs for the first quarter.

Increased daily throughput and metal production is expected to lower overall costs of metal produced (on a unit of production basis), thereby increasing overall financial performance, the company said.

"Our solid financial performance for the first quarter of 2007 has provided a continuing platform for growth and expansion," said Clifford James, TVI's President said in a statement.

"First quarter earnings and cash flow financed a dramatically expanded exploration program, compared with the same period last year, as well as initial expenditures on the Sulphide Expansion Project, which is expected to be the cash flow engine for TVI for next year and for years to come," he added.

TVI is currently operating in Canatuan project located in the town of Siocon in Zamboanga Del Norte, which is the first foreign-funded mining project in the Philippines in nearly four decades.

The Canadian company acquired its mineral production sharing agreement on September 1996, with mining tenements of 508 hectares. Mining of gold and silver-bearing raw gossans ore began in May of 2004.

The mining company is now on the expansion mode acquiring more mining lands in the peninsula.

TVI Pacific, a publicly listed firm in Canada, has mining operations in the Philippines and China. It is also involved in independent drilling operation and holds minor stakes in Lafayette Mining's troubled Rapu-Rapu operation in Albay.

The company's latest report said that while Lafayette was suspended late last year, it paid royalty twice to TVI late last year and early this year.

The mining firm has earlier said that it has increased its gold and silver production by 112% as a result of targeted technical management.

The Canatuan mine has increased production of gold and silver to 56,880 gold equivalent ounces in 2006 from 26,830 gold equivalent ounces in 2005. A gold equivalent ounce is the combined amount of gold and silver produced with the latter's amount computed in gold ounces.

Gold production increased by 131% to 45,210 ounces in 2006 from 19,535 ounces in 2005. Silver production also rose by 36% to 608,507 ounces in 2006 from 445,859 ounces in 2005.

It officials said the improvement in production was due to a series of upgrades that were made to the mine and mill facilities at Canatuan in 2005 and 2006, resulting in record levels of metal production in 2006 when commodity prices were high.

Gold and silver ore supplied into the mill also increased 207% to 591,180 dry metric tons (dmt) in 2006 from 192,870 dmt in 2005.

The mine's recovery of precious minerals increased to 87.49% for gold and 61.82% for silver compared with 82.61% for gold and 50.10% for silver.

Cash cost for each gold equivalent ounce for 2006 was lower at $326 per ounce compared to $310 in 2005.

Total cost, which includes cash cost, amortization of equipment and previous mining expenses, for each gold equivalent ounce for 2006 is higher at $452 in 2006 from $415 in 2005. (Darwin Wee)

Subanon Natives Celebrate Own Festival

Subanon natives celebrate their own cultural festival in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines. (Rene Patangan)

Podayunon og kotububu botad nog Subanon! (Long live the Subano Culture!)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - The faces of members of this tribe were a picture of happiness and pride as they chanted and danced to their own music during the festive kickoff of the Subanon Cultural Night in Canatuan, the Subanon ancestral domain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province.

The area is host to the gold-copper operations of TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. (TVIRD).

Purposely launched April 22 during this year’s International Earth Day celebration, the cultural presentation served to symbolize TVIRD’s commitment to protect and preserve both the environment in Canatuan as well as the culture and tradition of the people who live in it.

The Subanon Cultural Night, held at the clubhouse within the Company premises, will become a monthly celebration – and part of TVIRD’s growing list of cultural events in Canatuan.

“This activity underscores our respect for the traditional and cultural practices of our host indigenous community in Canatuan,” Felice Yeban, TVIRD Director for Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), said.

“We believe that a full understanding and deeper knowledge of the Subano culture will further promote a harmonious relationship with our hosts. There can be no denying that the Subanon traditional practices are a true mark of their identity handed down from generation to generation,” Yeban said.

“We view the monthly cultural night, now an official Company activity, as an opportunity for the Subanons to express their talents on a regular basis and, at the same time, promote a better understanding of their culture.”

The celebration showcased different cultural numbers and environment-inspired performances from local Subanons and members of Tribung Dipag, a cultural group based in Dipolog City (Zamboanga del Norte’s provincial capital), and known for its use of indigenous musical instruments.

These instruments include the agong (a large gong), kutapi (a two-string wooden guitar), sigitan (a bamboo guitar), kulintang (eight small gongs) and budyong (a bamboo blade).

Perfectly complementing the native instruments during the celebration were bamboo flutes and a bamboo rain stick that produces the sound of raindrops. And if the reactions of those who participated in the launching of the celebration were to be gauge, it is clear that the Subanon Cultural Night will be a much-awaited event: “We are happy that TVIRD initiated the cultural presentation, which enabled us to show our talents,” said Lydia Dandana, a member of the Subanon Council of Elders.

“We would like activities like this to continue so our culture will be preserved. The presentation is timely. The new generation of Subanons no longer practice our culture,” she said.

Alberto Mais, also a member of the Council of Elders, could not contain his elation: “We are proud of our culture. We are proud to be Subanons. I am very happy that I was able to take part in the cultural presentation. My deepest thanks to TVIRD for respecting our culture.”

“It was a real treat for us to be playing for, and jamming with, true-blue Subanons,” Jerry Rivas of Tribung Dipag. “It’s our first time to perform with the real Subanons and it was a really memorable experience.”

“The presentation was undoubtedly a huge success! The Subanons beamed with happiness all throughout the show,” Theresa Limpin, TVIRD Canatuan CReDO manager, said. “It gave them pride, and they were grateful that we are doing something to preserve and promote their culture. We will be making bigger plans for the next Cultural Night…a bigger area and a bigger celebration.”

“The launching of the Subanon Cultural Night during the Earth Day celebration gave us in TVIRD the opportunity to show that we take good care not only of Mother Earth, but of her children as well,” said, CReDO’s Jose Dagala.

In the later part of the show, the Subanons, mostly members of the Council of Elders, and TVIRD personnel led by Limpin danced the night away to the tune of modified Subano music played by Tribung Dipag and pure Subanons.

The first foreign-financed mining company to reach production stage since the passage of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, TVIRD has endeavored to bring sustainable development to its host community through its various socio-economic development programs. The Company recognizes the need to be sensitive to the Subanon culture and to be ever mindful of their aspirations as a community.

Early this year, TVIRD initiated an Art Workshop for Subanon women, assisted by the Zamboanga del Norte Federation of Visual Artists. Participants to the workshop are planning to put up a display area or souvenir shop, even a Subanon museum in Canatuan to showcase the rich culture and tradition of their ancestors and of their men and women today. (Rene Patangan)

TVI Mining Donates Water Supply System In Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - Fernandez Anda’s expressions of gratitude for the Water Supply System that TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) donated to his community gave company personnel encouragement and hope that, gradually, he and his fellow residents at Sitio Solongsangan are beginning to realize that mining, done with social conscience, can bring development.

Anda, a Subano anti-mining advocate, thanked TVIRD’s Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO) officers on behalf of Elino Tii, Solonsangan’s resident timuay (Subanon tribal leader) during the water system turnover ceremonies recently in this section of Tabayo, host barangay (village) of TVIRD’s Canatuan Project in the town of Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines.

In thanking TVIRD, Anda referred to the theme of the turnover rites, “Tubig nog Pegsolobukan” – Water of Unity – to describe the potable water supply to which his community now has access…courtesy of the company he often spoke against.He pointed out that, despite Solonsangan’s reputation for being a staunch anti-mining hotbed, TVIRD, thru CReDO, reached out to community residents and implemented the project without question.

Now they have a basic service that they lacked for generations.The ceremonies began with a padugo (bloodletting) – a Subano ritual that involves animal sacrifice; said to ward off evil spirits and to honor Ginoo – at the reservoir site. The ritual was solemnized by Armando Davi, a baliyan (Subanon priest).

The formal turnover ceremony was then held at the glopaw, the traditional Subanon church.Tabayo Barangay chieftain Bonifacio Patoh, for his part, said the cooperation of Solonsangan residents in this project came as a surprise – and highly remarkable.

Patoh, who is also chair of the Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI), urged and challenged the residents to be more active and supportive of social development projects being implemented by TVIRD under its Social Development Management Plan.

He explained that working hand-in-hand with the company in the implementation of its SDMP will ensure them of a better quality of life and will facilitate the achievement of sustainable development in their community.

For years, most residents of Sitio Solonsangan were critical of the mining operations of TVIRD in the area. But after witnessing themselves the Company’s sincerity in implementing its SDMP, many in the community finally decided to open up to CReDO personnel who, in turn, have since taken this as an opportunity for healthy dialogue.

The Solonsangan Water System Project cost P390,000 to build. It now serves a total of 52 households, 90% of whom are Subanon. At least thirteen 460-liter capacity water tubs with two faucets each were strategically distributed around the sitio for easy access. (Rene Patangan)

TVI Mining Builts New Dam In Zamboanga del Norte Province

The “quite intact” Gossan Dam, which is the tailings storage for TVIRD’s gold and silver project, is nearing the end of its operations life. Preparations are underway for reclamation and agriculture. And the non-stop construction work at the foundation of the Sulphide Dam taken 10 days after the heavy downpour in the upstream portion of the Canatuan watershed on April 2. The natural valley side slopes are shown on the right and left sides flanking the foundation works.

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) on Wednesday said the construction work on its Copper-Zinc Dam (“Sulphide” Dam) is on track and expected to be completed as scheduled by the third quarter of this year.

The P288-million tailings storage facility will be used when the previous dam, the “Gossan” Dam, is filled, and the Company begins producing copper-zinc concentrates in its Canatuan Project in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte by early 2008.

TVIRD also announced the upcoming reclamation plans for the Gossan Dam – the tailings storage for the Company’s gold and silver project – as its maximum capacity will have been reached sometime in mid-May 2007.

“We’re building the new, ‘Sulphide’ Dam, in stages,” said Jay Nelson, TVIRD Vice President for Environment and Civil Works.

“The early work was focused on preparations for the foundation, and now we’re starting on the structure to take tailings when the Gossan Dam is full. Weather permitting, we are confident that we will meet our target completion date for the first stage structure later this year.”

TVIRD President Eugene Mateo, for his part, denied reports being circulated by anti-mining groups that one of the Company’s tailings facilities had “collapsed”.

“Clearly, there is a disinformation campaign going on. How can that happen when there is only one dam in operation for tailings storage in Canatuan, which is the Gossan Dam? This dam is quite intact and, in fact, already nearing the end of its operations life for tailings storage. We will announce details of the Gossan Dam closure and reclamation plan shortly.”

Nelson added that a heavy downpour last April 2 caused soil runoffs from exposed portions of the construction site and from recent “kaingin” or slash-and-burn agriculture in the region.

The resulting, temporary, discoloration in the rivers apparently gave rise to a news and texting campaign by political opponents of mining, stirring up alarm in the province.

“The runoffs – the alleged ‘collapse’ – did set us back a bit in the construction schedule,” added Nelson, “but since we were still only working on the foundation at the time, it will not be difficult to catch up.”

“I appeal to anti-mining groups to be responsible, fair and honest in their reporting. I personally invite the people behind these groups to visit Canatuan so that they can see for themselves what is going on there,” Mateo said. (Rochelle Gamboa)

Finally, A Village For Subanon People

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - Chirino Limpuson was among the Subanon indigenous people (IP) who saw how his kinsfolk toiled for the transient small-scale mining operators at Mount Canatuan in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province.

The IPs were semi-employed, semi-nomadic and unsure of how to secure a better future for their children.

Today, the 58-year old Chirino is one of the Subanon leaders who work with TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. (TVIRD) to ensure that the company delivers its commitments to his fellow IPs and holders of the Canatuan Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).

The Tanuman Village is his dream comes true - a new residential community that is designed, funded and constructed jointly by TVIRD and the Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI), legal representative of the CADT-holders.

Even as the company is steadily fulfilling its commitments for employment and royalty benefits, it is also pressing on with the development of Tanuman – a permanent settlement; a first, in their long history in the mountains.

Chosen by the Subanon themselves, Tanuman Village is a 50-hectare area located four kilometers north of TVIRD’s gold-copper mining operation and right at the junction of three towns: Siocon, as well RT Lim and Ipil of adjacent Zamboanga Sibugay province, according to a TVI statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The Tanuman Village design is based on planned development and environmental protection. Built amidst a luxuriant forest reserve that comprises two-thirds of the site, a residential area will be developed with power and water supplies, sanitation infrastructure, schools, and community centers.

The project commenced in 2006 with earthwork and gradual transfer of families. In December, TVIRD engineers and Subanon residents worked hand in hand to put up power facilities and installing power lines, from the powerhouse, to the streetlights, all the way to the households.

By end-March 2007, all 44 families who were the first to move in are enjoying the safety and comfort of their brighter homes - for the first time in their lives.

Chirino beamed hopefully: “Naniniwala ako na itong liwanag sa aming bahay ngayon ay siya ring liwanag na mananaig sa aming kinabukasan (I am confident that the lights that brighten our homes will be the same brightness that will shine through our future).”

“Tanuman Village is just one project among TVIRD’s efforts towards reconciling human rights and mining by implementing community development projects using human rights concepts of people empowerment, consultation, social acceptance, sustainability, and a rights-based approach,” said Felice Yeban, a noted human rights advocate and TVIRD Director for Community Relations and Development Organization.

“We have supported and will continue to support the development of the IPs,” Yeban added, as she emphasized the Company’s resolve to work towards building for the Subanons a community that is not only developed, but sustainable.

Learning To Chart Their Own Course, Subanons Participate In Capacity-building Workshop

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE (Rene Patagan / 20 Feb) - Self-determination, empowerment, cultural preservation, sustainable development. Lofty but seemingly elusive ideals for indigenous peoples (IPs) the world over as they strive to strike a balance between the need to develop in a modern age on one hand, and to preserve generations-old traditions on the other.

Stories of IP struggles in the face of the inevitable advance of modern civilization abound, as in those of the North American First Nations. Some tribes still struggle to cope. Others initially faltered; but, through lessons learned from past mistakes, were able to rise – and prosper.

With these lessons in mind and as part of its continuing efforts to support the capacity building for self-determination of its Subanon hosts in Mount Canatuan in Siocon towmn in Zamboanga del Norte province, TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) recently conducted a three-day Organization Development and Training Workshop at the adjacent Ipil town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The workshop was designed to assist the Subanon leaders define their responsibilities to their immediate community, to appreciate their strengths as individuals and as an organization, as well as to clarify their rights under the Mining Act of 1995 and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Law (IPRA).

By working with the IPs toward this knowledge, TVIRD hopes to support them in their efforts to implement their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP), a tool for the empowerment of IPs towards the fulfillment of the general well-being of the current IP generation without compromising the needs of future generations.

“The discussion on Mining Act and IPRA made us aware of our rights and responsibilities as IPs”, said Lydia Dandana, Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI) Board of Trustee of the Workshop conducted by TVIRD’s Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO).

“This training workshop has been enlightening,” averred Bonifacio “Boy” Patoh, Chairman of Canatuan’s host barangay, Tabayo, and newly elected SSAI President. “We are able to set our plans concerning the implementation of ADSDPP.”

For his part, SSAI Vice President Danilo Bason stressed that “this activity is helpful to us as SSAI Officers. We are able to understand more our duties to the community.”

In the workshop sessions, the Subanon participants were asked to imagine a better Subano community: one that has equal rights to, among others, education, livelihood and health services; one that is united; and one where the Subanon culture is preserved. The participants agreed that a deeper understanding of their fellow Subanon’s needs will eventually eradicate frictions between and among members of their tribe.

Resource persons included fellow Subanons who are now well-respected members of society, as well as national and local officials of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples led by Noella Zunega and Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Director Lista “Jun” Cawanan. Noted IP Rights Lawyer Marilyn Cepe, who helped draft the IPRA, also provided valuable insights during the workshop.

Apart from Dandana, Patoh and Bason, the other Subanon leaders who joined the workshop were: SSAI Secretary Chirino Limpuson, Paho Fuentevilla, Pasing Bason, Alberto Mais, Andres Ansani, Santiago Sumampang, Yolanda Herolaga, Erdulfo Comisas, Celestino Guinagag, Zenaida Dandana and Danilo Tumangkis. Asst. Treasurer Nenita Davi as well as Julie Lobrigas, personal secretary of Patoh were also present.

Among the workshop outputs is SSAI’s plan of action for the first quarter of 2007. The plan includes the conduct of Capability Building Training for the immediate community which, in turn, will involve Community Organizing Training, Leadership Training, Financial Management and Auditing, Cultural Refresher, Values Formation, as well as Project Development training for the ADSDPP, slated to be implemented in April this year.

The Organizational Development Training for SSAI was inspired by the IP Capacity-Building Workshop sponsored by the Canadian Embassy late last year in Dipolog City, the capital of the Canatuan Project’s host province. (Rene Patangan)

DTI Assists Subanon Miners In Zambo Norte

Government officials led by Trade regional director for Western Mindanao Nazrullah Manzur, in red shirt, poses with TVI people in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao.

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE - Aware that indigenous peoples face initial challenges in the management of royalties from resource development firms that operate in their ancestral lands, government agencies led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have pledged full support for the Subanon natives in the remote mountain village of Canatuan in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province.

Help will focus on the planning and implementation of livelihood and community development projects to be identified by the IPs themselves and funded from royalty payments they get from TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD).

DTI regional director for Western Mindanao Nazrullah Manzur made this commitment when he – along with several top officials of DTI, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) – inspected the Canatuan gold and silver mine of TVIRD and met with the leaders of company’s host IP community, represented by the Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI).

“It was a good opportunity for us to meet the IPs. There is a need for them to put their acts together,” Manzur said, referring to the Subanons. There may be a lot of livelihood opportunities for them in Canatuan that we are not aware of."

"We can discuss this subject further with them so that we will know the necessary intervention we in the DTI can provide. The intervention may be in the form of training, capacity building, marketing, among others," he said.

Apart from Manzur, the other government officials who met with SSAI officers were DTI provincial director Noel Bazan, DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Carlito Tuballa, and PCA provincial manager Ralph Hamoy.

They were joined by Ernesto Rojo, executive director of the Dipolog Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Maridel Palpagan, DTI chief of Business Development Division, and staff members Luis Paloma, Jr. and Nick Nacaytuna.

Hamoy said he will explore with SSAI, specifically with its hired agriculturist, the feasibility of engaging the IPs in coconut farming, considering that the Philippine government has announced that it will promote biodiesel, a coconut by-product, as an alternative energy source in the near future.

SSAI, the legal representative of the 1,200-strong Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title holders of Canatuan, has received royalties of P5 million in 2005 and an additional P10 million from January to September 2006 from TVIRD.

Company officials estimate that the Subanons will get a total of P14 million, net of tax, for the whole of 2006. Under a Memorandum of Agreement forged with SSAI in 2002, the Company has no influence over how the Subanons will invest their royalty.

The IPs and the group of government agencies to be gathered by Manzur are set to meet again in January 2007 to discuss the assistance needed for SSAI to efficiently utilize the royalty its members have been receiving from TVIRD.

Officials also visited the Canatuan open pit mine; the Tanuman settlement village to be built by TVIRD for the Subanons; the proposed school site for Subanon children; as well as the P170 million Gossan Tailings Dam.

Accompanying the officials are Rocky Dimaculangan, TVIRD public affairs director; Mae Villar, TVIRD environment officer; and Vic Quintana, TVIRD metallurgist. Delegation members expressed their approval of and admiration for the company’s conscientious mining practices. According to Bazan,

“If you are a nature-lover, you will really love it,” referring to TVIRD’s environmental management and protection initiatives in Canatuan.

During an exit conference with company officials led by TVI Canatuan general manager Magi Bagayao, Manzur said “it was a very good experience to have witnessed the actual mining operations of TVIRD. As far as the government requirements are concerned, I believe they are all met by the Company.”

For his part, Tuballa said he will recommend to the Canatuan Multi-partite Monitoring Team the inclusion of other non-government organizations in the team to ensure TVIRD’s continued compliance with mining laws, to further promote transparency in the company’s operations, and to encourage dialogue between the TVI and its various stakeholders. (R. Patangan/TVI)

Zamboanga del Sur Welcomes Canadian Mining Firm

Mary Ann Lucero-Cartalla, mayor of a mountain town called Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur province in South RP, with Rocky Dimaculangan, of TVI, on Tuesday 31 Oct 2006. And villagers show up to welcome TVI delegates who visited Bayog town, where it is currently exploring gold and other minerals. (Mindanao Examiner)

The current mayor of Bayog town, Mary Ann Lucero-Cartalla, says during a huge pro-mining rally Tuesday 31 Oct. 2006 the locals are all-out in supporting the Canadian mining firm, TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc., which is conducting exploration. She says the mining firm has provided jobs to many people in the town. More than 3,000 villagers attend the rally. (Mindanao Examiner MP4)

ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Nov) – About 3,000 mostly farmers have flocked to the mountain town of Bayog in Zamboanga del Sur, south of the Philippines, to welcome delegates from a Canadian mining firm.

TVI Resource Development Inc. said it will expand its current operation in the southern Philippines and has begun exploration projects in Bayog town.

It is currently operating a gold mine inside a 500-hectare area in Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province, but the current mayor of the remote Bayog town, Mary Ann Lucero-Cartalla, said she has offered TVI almost 5,000-ha.

"We welcome responsible mining in Bayog. TVI will bring us not only responsible mining, but employment and progress as well," the mayor told the Mindanao Examiner.

She said the locals were also supporting the TVI and that about 3,000 people have flocked to Bayog to welcome the firm's executives who visited the town on Tuesday for a dialogue with villagers.

TVI president Eugene Mateo previously said that they have invested more than P500 million and is currently exploring for gold and other minerals in the hinterland village of Balabag.

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 Bayog town to see if it is feasible to mine in the area.

"We have a lot of things to do in Bayog 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.

"This is really an opportunity for us to have a descent employment. We really want TVI to stay here for good so that many poor people and our children will benefit from all that investments," said a 51-year old coconut farmer, Oscar Sumaling.

"The TVI also helped us in the past when landslides buried several houses here and we owed them a lot," he said.

In February, TVI led a rescue operation in Bayog town after landslides triggered by heavy rains buried houses in one village that killed at least 5 people.

The mayor was even more supportive and had hosted the dialogue, telling the villagers the importance of investments to a small town like Bayog, where farmers transport their agricultural products by buffalos and horses.

The town, about 223 km from Zamboanga City , has a population of about 26,000 mostly Subanon natives scattered in 28 villages.

Rocky Dimaculangan, head of the TVI delegation and spokesman of the company, said they always follow strict international mining standards. "We have opened our doors to any groups that wanted to see how we operate. TVI follows strict international mining standards," he said.

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 by next year.

Illegal miners who previously operated in Mount Canatuan dumped toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide into Siocon's waterways, threatening the ecological balance. Illegal mining persisted for years until TVI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Siocon Subano Association, Inc., (SSAI), the largest group of indigenous people in Zamboanga del Norte, in October 2001 to develop their ancestral domain.

SSAI is recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous People as the legal representative of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) holders in Canatuan.

TVI also entered into a production sharing agreement with the Filipino government in 1996 -- even before the Subanon people obtained their CADT under the Indigenous People's Rights Act a year later. (Mindanao Examiner)

TVI Participates in Canadian "Roundtables" on Corporate Social Responsibility

MANILA (Rochelle Hilario / 12 Oct) – The Canadian government has been holding roundtable sessions to hear the public’s views on “recommendations for government, non-government organ izations, labor organizations, businesses and industry associations on ways to strengthen approaches to managing the external impacts of international business activities to benefit both businesses and the communities within which they work.” In other words: Corporate Social Responsibility, particularly in the "extractive industries" of mining and petroleum, in developing countries.

The TVI Resource Development Philippines. Inc., recommended the following:

The Canadian Government become a signatory to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, an initiative organized by the two NGOs, Business for Social Responsibility, and the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum;

Industry to adopt, and report on, Best Practices in their projects, as defined by internationally agreed standards; and to participate in the Voluntary Principles program where security is an issue;

NGOs to commit to the Accountability Charter for NGOs, to improve responsibility, due diligence and "CSR" in the conduct of advocacy;

Government, Civil Society, Industry to develop a system of Accredited Monitors who could independently and professionally review CSR performance in international projects and make recommendations.

On the basis of TVI’s experience, in which the company’s reputation has been unjustly impugned by civil society and political-agenda organizations in the Philippines and abroad, TVI believes that a key issue is the lack of mechanisms for credible, independent monitoring and verification of project performance.

The availability of accredited monitors would go a long way toward resolving misrepresentation and conflict issues in project evaluation and execution.

TVI’s presentation to the Canadian Government Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility, submitted in Calgary, October 10, is available for download by clicking on this link.

TVI Tackles Mining Issues In Dipolog Forum...

Fielding questions from both pro-mining and anti-mining advocates during the open forum held in Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte province are TVIRD officials Yulo Perez (extreme right) and Rocky Dimaculangan (2nd from right), along with Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 9 chief Constancio Paye (2nd from left) and Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Legal Counsel Atty. Jesgal Sarmiento (extreme left).

...Presents Social Commitment Initiatives to Zamboanga del Norte government and non-government representatives.

DIPOLOG CITY (Rochelle Hilario / 10 Oct) - Officials of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) recently participated in the first-ever mining forum held in the provincial capital of Zamboanga del Norte, host of TVIRD’s Canatuan Project.

The officials fielded questions from both pro-mining and anti-mining advocates during the no-holds-barred open forum designed to help clarify issues and concerns regarding mining as an engine of economic development for Mindanao, as well as the company’s operations in Siocon town. (TVI/Read more)