Siocon Tribal Leaders Reunite For Good

Subanon tribal leader Jose Anoy is being assisted as he dons a traditional garb during the reunification of tribal leaders in Mount Canatuan in the town of Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte province in Mindanao on August 27, 2009. And Anoy shakes hands with TVIRD President Eugene Mateo as as TVIRD Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Ridsdel looks on. He is also greeted by other Subanon tribal leaders. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

MOUNT CANATUAN, Philippines - The Subanon tribal leaders of Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte province – after almost a decade of conflict – have finally united to set aside their differences and strengthen their tribal leadership through a gradual process of reconciliation and reunification.

The decision enabled them to put their past differences aside and work together in the future to take advantage - through the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSPP) that they will draft together as one tribe - of the opportunity provided by a mining project and create a sustainable indigenous community.

The reunification was formally acknowledged in a memorable ceremony of all the tribe on August 27 when Jose Anoy was bestowed the title of timuoy which means chieftain of Siocon, following the customary rites of the Subanon indigenous people of the Pito Kodolongan or Seven Rivers of the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Gulang Gukom Noval Lambo, the senior timuoy of the Seven Rivers, reaffirmed Anoy’s position in the tribe, which was recognized and endorsed by all the members of the Siocon tribe’s Council of Elders (COE).

“Moktolipun numunkitu kinilolaan si Boy Anoy nog iyon og timuoy sog CADT (From now on, Boy Anoy is recognized as the timuoy of the CADT),” Lambo said in Subanon as he placed a traditional timuoy garb on Anoy’s shoulders.

Anoy responded: “Mokposolamat u nog moktolipun numunkitu kinilolaan na og golal u kuni. Na’amu mog kalanngalang mokpolani dianakon bila ongon og glogon niu. (I am grateful that my rank in the CADT area has been recognized. Do not hesitate to approach me whatever your problem may be and I am ready to help you as best as I can.)

At one point during the ceremonies, Anoy danced to the beat of indigenous musical instruments before his tribe and people.

By “CADT”, Lambo and Anoy were referring to the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title awarded by the Philippine government to the Subanons of Siocon on June 12, 2003, benefiting some 2,000 tribal members.

The CADT encompasses a total of 8,213 hectares of land straddling the villages of Tabayo and Candiz, both in the town of Siocon, as well as the village of Kilalaban in adjacent Baliguian town.

Within the CADT is the 508-hectare area under the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), which had been signed by the Philippine government and TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) on October 23, 1996, prior to the awarding of the CADT to the Subanons.

TVIRD has been producing copper concentrates from its Canatuan MPSA area since March of this year, following the company’s previous operations at the same location that produced gold and silver from July 2004 to April 2008.

“We are pleased with the reunification of the leaders of this tribe,” TVIRD President Eugene Mateo said in Filipino. “We waited for this to happen for a long time. We congratulate you for agreeing to come back together as one tribe. Let us help each other in the development of your CADT. You can be assured that while our company is here, we will support your plans for the progress of your community.”

Mateo stressed that TVIRD will keep its commitment to support the Subanons during the formulation of their ADSDPP.

Abdul Puengan, Director of the government National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Western Mindanao, said he is happy to have witnessed “this memorable day.”

“At last tribal leaders recognize Timuoy Anoy. Congratulations! Your CADT was given to you in 2003, but it failed to take off because of the disunity among its leaders. Today is indeed a remarkable moment for all Subanons,” he said, speaking before the Subanon people who witnessed the historic reunification ceremony.

For her part, Jessica Lucero, Director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for Western Mindanao, said she hopes “this occasion will mark the beginning of a stronger teamwork (among the Subanons, the government and TVIRD) towards the attainment of our dream of developing the Subanon homeland.”

Under the Philippine Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997, the CADT claimants should draft the ADSDPP with officers of the NCIP. The Plan should include sections on indigenous knowledge systems and practices, a profile of the domain’s natural resources, analysis of the area’s development needs, and a commitment to maintain ecological balance. Once the Plan has been fine-tuned, the community as a whole will be responsible for managing the domain.

The reunification of the tribe and the reaffirmation of Anoy’s leadership have finally put an end to years of disagreements over the personalities of leadership, as well as the direction of the community with regard to development.

The tribal spokesman Onsino Mato said the formal conferment of the timuoy rank to Anoy is the “ultimate day ng ating pagkakaintindihan (of our agreement)…as we recognize the traditional leader of our tribe.”
Addressing the members of the COE, Mato said: “In the name of Apo Manglang (in Subanon tradition, the founder of the Siocon tribe)...we will never forsake you or leave you. Lahat ng mga pangulo sa tribo, moghambulok na! (All the leaders of the tribe, unite!)”

Bonifacio Patoh, village chairman of Tabayo and the Siocon Subanon Association, Inc. (SSAI), said “Anoy can bank on our full support, especially during the drafting of the ADSDPP. We’ve always wanted to do the ADSDPP. Now that the tribe is united, we can proceed with the ADSDPP because our fellow tribe people in the CADT have been waiting for the plan for a long time. I wish to thank all those who helped us become one again. Thank you, Timuoy Lambo. Thank you TVIRD.”

Paul Arias, manager of the TVIRD Canatuan, said in his speech that “the only way to development is through peace and the only way to peace is through reconciliation.”

The path to Subanon oneness - spurred by the need to draft their ADSDPP - began in August 2008, when members of various Subanon groups in Canatuan participated in a capacity-building workshop on the ADSDPP. These organizations were the COE, the Siocon Subanon Association Inc. (SSAI), the Siocon Subanon Women’s Association Inc. (SSWAI), and the Siocon Youth Organization (SYO).

In May and June 2009, the NCIP facilitated separate meetings between the COE members and Anoy who all agreed then to start their ADSDPP formulation process. And on June 12, on the occasion of the 6th Anniversary of the Siocon CADT, Timuoy Lambo spearheaded the initial talks of the Subanon peace process. On June 27, a “cleansing ritual” became the highlight of the reconciliation and reunification meeting among members of Anoy’s group, the COE and the SSAI.

During the August 27 rites called Gumpia Nog Pigbogolalan Sog Bonua Nog Siocon, Zamboanga Del Norte which means “Putting in order the tribal leadership and organizational structure in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte,” Timuoy Doring Sangila of Baliguian led the burning of incense, which, according to Subanon belief, would carry their prayers to their god Mikpongon.

Sangila also passed around to the other timuoys who participated in the ritual a white chicken, symbolizing peace and purity of intention to reconcile and unite and in keeping with the ritual’s theme Gomigus Bu’supali Biniyanan Sogpopaya’ or “In friendship there is oneness.”

“The reconciliation is one of the best things that ever happened in our CADT area,” said Nena Anoy, a member of the SSWAI. “It means the beginning of the development that we have dreamed of since we forged a partnership with TVIRD. I say this because before the reconciliation, our tribal leaders failed to sit down to formulate a development plan for the CADT. Now I heard that soon, the formulation of our ADSDPP will start. I am one of those who are happy that Timuoy Boy Anoy and other leaders have reconciled and reunited.”

“The Paduan event was something that I am very proud of,” said Joel Comisas, vice president of SYO. “It showed that our tribal leaders are able to set aside their personal differences and interests for the good of the entire tribe. This is something worth emulating by Subanon youths like me. Like other Subanon in the CADT, I hope and pray that the unification process will continue forward and that, soon, our tribal leaders, with Timuoy Boy Anoy taking the lead, will complete the ADSDPP for the CADT area so that every Subanon will be able enjoy the benefits of mining.”

The Subanons gifted TVIRD’s top management officials with the traditional Subanon timuoy clothing, which the guests wore for the entire duration of the ritual. Apart from Mateo, the other officials who participated in the event were John Ridsdel, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, who also conveyed his best wishes to the Subanons in their own language; Feliece Yeban, Vice President for Social Commitments; Jay Nelson, Vice President for Environment and Civil Works; and Rocky Dimaculangan, Director for Public Affairs.

Arias was joined by other members of TVIRD’s Canatuan Management Team, led by Germidas Laspinas, Officer-in-Charge of the Canatuan Operations; Pete Remoto, Mine Manager; Theresa Limpin, Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO) Manager; Edilberto Nercuit, Civil Engineering Services Manager; Lullie Micabalo, Public Affairs Manager; and Ulysses Silorio, Company Physician. Rosalie Tiongco, Corporate Human Resources and Development Manager; and Valentin Edang, Security Consultant, also came to witness the event.

TVIRD staff members were also on hand to show their support for the reunification of the company’s gracious Subanon hosts. They were Rocelle Magpayo, Social Commitments Program Officer; Rowena Adem, Executive Assistant to the General Manager; Gemma Tolentino, Company Forrester; Jose Dagala and Noelle Nazareno, CReDO Information Officer and Communication Specialist, respectively; Joana Tiglao, Public Affairs Assistant; and Lois Ladera, Company Nurse.

“While the ritual was ongoing, the skies opened momentarily to bring rains – believed to be a good sign that God was showering the event with blessings,” one Subanon said.

“It was already mid-afternoon when the traditional ceremonies ended. Mato invited everyone to take a sip of panggasi – Subanon rice wine – in the jars onstage. As people began to leave the hall, many heaved a sigh of relief; there was an unmistakable feeling of joy in everyone.”

“But everybody also agreed that the road to peace and development will still be long, winding and paved with challenges for this tribe. Nonetheless, with the openness and sincerity demonstrated by the leaders in the long process leading to this event were to be a gauge, the future looks promising indeed for the Subanons of Siocon,” said Dimaculangan. (Lullie Micabalo)

Filipino tribal leaders bring issue to United Nations

Filipino tribal leaders Timuay Jose Boy Anoy and Timuay Noval Lambo on a mission to defend the Subanon indigenous people.

QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Today, the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), an advocacy group and a people’s movement that upholds the rights of the present and future Filipinos against the persisting injustices related to mining, held a send-off lunch for Filipino indigenous peoples (IPs) leaders who will be leaving for Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday to participate in the United Nation’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) hearing on a complaint filed against the Philippine Government by the Subanon community.

The Filipino tribal leaders who will be going to Geneva are Timuay Jose Boy Anoy, the rightful owner of ancestral land in Mt. Canatuan - who was personally given a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo - has been ejected from his own land by TVI together with his fellow Filipino tribal leaders Timuay Noval Lambo, Chief Elder of the Subanon Council of Seven Rivers in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Peter Duyapat, President of the Didipio Earth Savers Movement Association (DESAMA) belonging to the Ifugao community from Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.

The three IP leaders are asserting that their rights to the ancestral domains have been violated, and that the actions of the Philippine government, particularly the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples have been adverse against them.

“The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) facilitated the formation of a bogus tribal council in connivance with TVI. There was no genuine free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) given to the mining operations. Our customs, traditions, and beliefs have been disrespected by no less than the government,” said Timuay Anoy.

“The government must tell the truth. We have been waiting for so long. The government’s report, which states that are no indigenous peoples’ discrimination is purely a lie as fabricated by the NCIP, through its incompetent local officials. They should be held accountable,” said Timuay Lambo.

Duyapat, whose community is impacted by an Australian mining company, OceanaGold, has been abusing the rights of the indigenous community through militarization, displacements and loss of livelihood. He will raise complaints about their community’s situation. “We strongly demand that the real spirit of IPRA should be implemented and genuine FPIC be sought,” Duyapat said.

“The World IP Day is observed on August 9 every year and there are 12 million indigenous peoples in the Philippines and the participation of the three IP leaders who will be going to Geneva will speak up, tell their stories and demand that the government should heed their call for their right to self-determination and the United Nations urge and pressure the Republic of the Philippines to address justly, without discrimination, the issues of land rights, militarization, access to justice and protection of indigenous beliefs and practices.”

“ATM will support the initiative of these IP leaders to explore and maximize international venues where they can assert their rights to pursue the protection and enrichment of their indigenous cultures,” said ATM Coordinator Jaybee Garganera.

The CERD is a body of independent experts which monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by its State parties. The Philippine government, having ratified ICERD is obliged to regularly report to the Committee on how it is being implemented. However, the Government has failed in the required regular reporting, and its current report covers the period of 1998 to 2008.
The ATM is an alliance of mining-affected communities and their support groups of NGOs/POs and other civil society organizations convened by HARIBON, Legal Rights and Natural Resources -Friends of the Earth Philippines (LRC/FOEI) and PhilDHRRA. (Roslyn Arayata)

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)

Stay Away From Ancestral Lands, Rebels Warn Mining Firms In Mindanao

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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)

Mining Firm Rescues Measles-Infected Subanons In South RP

The Medianeros. Lilet, in orange shirt, was among those severely infected in the measles virus outbreak in Canatuan. Her mother, Sisa, a vocal critic of TVIRD, thanked the company for saving her daughter’s life. Above, TVIRD midwife Malou Prestoza (in pink hat), and below, TVIRD nurse Loi Ladera-Esnane administer anti-measles vaccine to Subanon children right where they live in remote hamlet near Canatuan. “We take care of the health of our Subanon hosts as well as we do our employees,” says company doctor Ramil Ignacio.” (Photos by Rene Patangan)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 20, 2007) - Sisa Medianero didn’t know what to do when all five of her children, aged 2 to 10, contracted the measles virus.

Lilet, her nine-year old daughter, was among the 30 Subanons, mostly children, who were severely infected during a recent measles outbreak in Canatuan, their ancestral domain in the mountainous eastern portion of Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province in southern Philippines.

Sisa, a former small-scale miner and unhappy about the arrival of the large-scale mining operations of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) in their area, had nowhere to turn.

The nearest hospital is some 30 kilometers away and her sick children, especially Lilet, needed immediate medical attention. She decided to seek the help of TVIRD, which runs a round-the-clock clinic, complete with a medical staff, for its employees and members of its host communities.

It was a decision that Sisa eventually realized was a good one. Lilet’s life was saved, and the Subanon mother said she could never thank the company enough.

“Ako mapasalamaton ug dako sa TVIRD sa pagtabang sa akong anak. Kung wala pa kini mahatagan sa pagtagad sa clinic, hayan adunay dili maayo mahitabo sa akong anak (I am very greatful to TVIRD for helping my child. If she was not given due attention by the clinic staff, something bad could have happened to my daughter),” said Sisa.

Lilet was eventually referred and brought to the Siocon town hospital for further medical care, using TVIRD facilities and financial support.

Elsa Bason Absalon, also a Subanon, had the same dilemma. Her three children, 6 months to 5 years-old, were also afflicted with measles. Her 3 year-old son Robert had high fever and diarrhea.

Fearing for her offspring’s lives, she brought them immediately to the company clinic.

Alarmed and fearing the further spread of the virus in the community and adjacent barangays, TVIRD management assigned its medical team to wage an anti-measles campaign in the area. Children from ages 9 to 48 months were administered with measles vaccine. A total to 507 children, mostly Subanon from Canatuan and surrounding communities received the vaccine. The outbreak was arrested.

“We take care of the health of our Subanon hosts as well as we do our own employees,” Dr. Ramil Ignacio, physician of TVIRD Canatuan, said. “The outbreak, if left unattended, could affect a large number of Subanon children and could even lead to death in some cases, considering that many children here are malnourished and, therefore, have weak immune systems.”

Complications with measles are common especially in remote and isolated areas where medical services are not available. These complications may include severe diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis.

During the campaign, Dr. Ignacio’s team found out that, because of the inaccessibility of health services in the area, more than 30 percent of the measles-afflicted children, with an average age of six, never had the required initial dose of the measles vaccine.

For many years before TVIRD began its gold and silver mining operations in Canatuan, indigenous people in the mountain communities of Siocon had to travel several kilometers through rough terrain and across rivers to the town proper to be able to get medical attention.

There were no roads or bridges back then.

As soon as the Canatuan Project commenced in mid-2004 by virtue of a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement between TVIRD and the Philippine government, the company helped pave roads and assisted in the construction of steel bridges along the Ipil-Canatuan route to the west, and the Canatuan-Siocon Proper route to the east.

TVIRD also put up a clinic and schools in and around Canatuan.
The TVIRD clinic serves the community, with a doctor, a nurse, a midwife and nursing aides on-call on a 24/7 basis.

The company has likewise conducted medical and dental outreach programs in far-flung barrios in Siocon and adjacent towns that had never been reached by government and NGO medical services. (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)

Black Propaganda Targets Canadian Mining Firm In South RP

Yulo Perez, TVIRD vice president for Philippine operations, gestures as he explains to reporters the safety of mine tailing dams on Mount Canatuan in Siocon town in southern Philippines as shown in the map. Anti-mining activists have spread rumors of a sulphide dam collapsing under heavy rains and spilling toxic chemicals in rivers and creeks. Filipino authorities say the reports were false. Nelson says heavy rains washed away red soil and that the dam is still under construction. Some 400 natives in the area called Subanon are working for TVIRD, but many who were not hired accused the Canadian mining firm of polluting the environment, an allegation denied both by the TVIRD and the Philippine government. And Jay Nelson, TVIRD vice president for environment and civil works, gestures as he explains to Zamboange del Norte provincial board members, led by lawyer Felixberto Bolando, the safety of mine tailing dams on Mount Canatuan in Siocon town in southern Philippines, where the heart of the TVIRD operation is located. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 19 Aug) – Provincial government officials inspected a Canadian gold mine area after anti-mining activists spread news that a dam had collapsed and spread toxic chemicals in rivers and creeks in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Norte.

The reports said the sulphide dam, one of two operated by the TVI Resource Development Inc., in Mount Canatuan in Siocon town collapsed after days of heavy rains. The reports were false.

“There is no (dam) collapse really, but erosion of the red soil due to rains,” a provincial lawmaker Felixberto Bolando, chairman of the committee on natural resources and environment protection, told the Mindanao Examiner.

“There is no issue of toxic waste spill at all. The sulphide dam is not yet being used by the company,” he said.

Bolando said the reports had no legal basis since no one among those who complained had signed an affidavit to back up their claims. “We urged those who have other complaints to properly file your affidavits and have them duly notarized before submitting them to us,” he said.

Rocky Dimaculangan, TVIRD’s public affairs chief, told reporters that the rains washed away red oil to the rivers. “Soil has washed away by heavy rains and it is common in the area. There is no truth to the reports that one of our dams had collapsed because we have one of the safest structures that can withstand even an earthquake of 8.5 in the Richter scale.”

“We follow a strict environment safety compliance that is world-class standards and our area is being inspected regularly by government environment people,” he said.

Bolando together with three other officials – Aniceto Darunday, Edgar Baguio and Cedric Adriatico -- inspected the site Saturday and later presided over a public hearing in the town’s Jose Rizal Memorial College.

Darunday said they were satisfied with the ocular inspection and that the public hearing is in aid of legislation. “We have to really listen to all sides here and find out the truth,” he said.

Jay Nelson, TVIRD vice president for environment and civil works, and Magi Bagayao, the firm’s Canatuan general manager, demonstrated to the provincial officials the structural integrity of both the gossan dam, currently being used to impound gold and silver tailings, as well as the sulphide dam now being constructed to contain tailings of copper and zinc concentrates that TVIRD will produce next year.

”The design criteria used for both dams were based on Philippine standards and regulations as well as various operations and engineering criteria used in North America, and in fact the detailed design and construction supervision have been provided by top international firms,” Nelson said.

Bagayao, for his part, sought to disprove rumors that there are secret outlets orundeclared exits in the gossan dam intended to be used during heavy rainfallto prevent the overflowing of waste tailings or the collapse of the dam. ”These persistent rumors are just silly,” Bagayao told reporters here.

Adriatico, who was former priest, said his group conducted the probe because of reports the dam had collapsed.

“There were reports about this so we have to do our jobs and inspect the (TVIRD) facility and hold public hearing. We will also conduct a committee hearing before we can come out with a recommendation,” he said.

The gossan dam has a capacity of about one million tons of mine tailings, while the sulphide dam hold a capacity of up to 7 years of continuous operation, said Yulo Perez, TVIRD’s vice president for Philippine operations.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau earlier inspected the mining site, situated inside a 500-hectare area, and said there was no truth to the reports that the sulphide dam collapsed.

TVI invested nearly $48 million for the construction of the gossan and sulphide dams, both considered as the safest in the southern Philippines. Gossan dam is used to contain the mine tailings from gold and silver ores and the sulphide dam for the copper and zinc tailings.

The TVI project in Mount Canatuan employs more than 700 people and about 60 percent of them are natives belonging to the Subanon tribe. It has paid over P50 million in government taxes and built roads and schools and clinics in the area since it started operation in 2004.

Pro-mining advocates and local tribesmen have blamed anti-mining activists, backed by a few Catholic priests opposed to TVIRD, as behind the false reports allegedly to get funding from international anti-mining groups in Canada.

Some activists are also members of militants groups with links to communist insurgents, who are active in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)

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 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.

Katutubo Nagbanta Kontra Pamahalaan, TVI Mining!

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Mar) – Nagbabanta ang ilang grupo ng mga Subanon kontra sa pamahalaan na hindi susuportahan ang TEAM Unity kung patuloy ang operasyon ng TVI mining sa kabundukan ng Canatuan.

Mistulang blackmail naman ang ginagawa ng mga Subanon upang puwersahin ang pamahalaan na ipasara ang naturang gold mine operation ng TVI – na siyang nagbibigay naman ng milyon-milyong buwis sa kaban ng bansa at sa lalawigan.

Idinulog pa sa Zamboanga City ng mga opisyal ng grupong Subanon ang kanilang hinaing at nagpatawag pa ng press conference kamakailan. Hindi kasi umano pinapansin ng media sa Dipolog ang mga protesta ng Subanon.

Ngunit karamihan sa mga Subanon sa Zamboanga del Norte at Zamboanga del Sur ay pabor sa TVI dahil nabibigyan nito ng trabaho ang libo-libong mga mamamayan at naipagawa rin ang maraming kalsada at gusali upang gawin paaralan at health centers.

Hinihinalang pakana ng Simbahan ang protesta ng mga Subanon laban sa TVI.

Hindi naman agad makunan ng reaksyon ang TVI at TEAM Unity ukol sa nasbaing banta. Ngunit naunang pinaboran ng pamahalaan ang operasyon ng TVI dahil sa mga modernong gamit nito sa pagmimina at suporta rin ng malalaking grupo ng mga Subanon ang pagmimina.

Ang Subano ay ang mga katutubong naninirahan sa lalawigan. (With a report from Ely Dumabog)