Eugene Mateo, president of the TVI Resource Development Inc., gestures during a news conference Friday 01 Sept 2006 in Zamboanga City. Mateo says the Canadian mining firm has already invested more than P500 million in gold mine exploration in the town of Bayug in Zamboanga del Sur province in Southern RP. TVI is currently operating a gold mine site in Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province. (Mindanao Examiner) ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 01 Sept) A Canadian mining firm TVI Resource Development Inc., said it will expand its current operation in the southern Philippines and had began exploring a remote mountain side in the province of Zamboanga del Sur.
"We have already invested more than P500 million and is currently exploring for gold and other minerals in the hinterland village of Balabag in the town of Bayug," Eugene Mateo, TVI president, told the Mindanao Examiner.
TVI is currently operating a gold mine inside a 500-ha. area in Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province. Filipino environment and top government officials had previously cited the mining firm for having one of the cleanest and safest mining facilities in the country.
Mateo said it would take them at least one year to complete the exploration in Bayug town to see if it is feasible to mine in the area which is bigger than Canatuan mining site.
"We have a lot of things to do in Bayug town, but we can guarantee that the environment would not be affected or polluted by our operations. We follow strict international mining standards to ensure safe and responsible mining," he said, adding, some 650 people, including 50 Filipino geologists, are now working for TVI in the exploration project.
Mateo said they were also planning to explore gold in Compostela Valley in Davao province, southeast of Zamboanga del Sur.
TVI spent more than P200 million since 2004 for its environmental management initiatives in Siocon town, where it also built new roads and health centers for the villagers.
The Siocon Subano Association, Inc., (SSAI), the largest group of indigenous people in Zamboanga del Norte, is also supporting the mining operation. Its legal counsel, Subanon lawyer Pablo Bernardo, said TVI has spent millions of pesos in community projects in Siocon that included schools, clinics and bridges, to benefit the locals.
TVI had entered into a production sharing agreement with the government even before the Subanon people obtained their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) under the Indigenous People's Rights Act in 2003.
"We have already invested more than P500 million and is currently exploring for gold and other minerals in the hinterland village of Balabag in the town of Bayug," Eugene Mateo, TVI president, told the Mindanao Examiner.
TVI is currently operating a gold mine inside a 500-ha. area in Canatuan Mountain in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province. Filipino environment and top government officials had previously cited the mining firm for having one of the cleanest and safest mining facilities in the country.
Mateo said it would take them at least one year to complete the exploration in Bayug town to see if it is feasible to mine in the area which is bigger than Canatuan mining site.
"We have a lot of things to do in Bayug town, but we can guarantee that the environment would not be affected or polluted by our operations. We follow strict international mining standards to ensure safe and responsible mining," he said, adding, some 650 people, including 50 Filipino geologists, are now working for TVI in the exploration project.
Mateo said they were also planning to explore gold in Compostela Valley in Davao province, southeast of Zamboanga del Sur.
TVI spent more than P200 million since 2004 for its environmental management initiatives in Siocon town, where it also built new roads and health centers for the villagers.
The Siocon Subano Association, Inc., (SSAI), the largest group of indigenous people in Zamboanga del Norte, is also supporting the mining operation. Its legal counsel, Subanon lawyer Pablo Bernardo, said TVI has spent millions of pesos in community projects in Siocon that included schools, clinics and bridges, to benefit the locals.
TVI had entered into a production sharing agreement with the government even before the Subanon people obtained their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) under the Indigenous People's Rights Act in 2003.
SSAI is recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous People as the legal representative of Canatuan CADT holders. TVI signed a memorandum of understanding with the SSAI in October 2001 to develop their ancestral domain as a gesture of good faith.
TVI claimed to have the support of the majority in Canatuan, which has a population of several thousands. It currently employs more than 650 mostly Subanon tribesmen, plus several hundreds more in other indirect services.
Mateo said they paid more than P30 million in taxes to the government, aside from millions of pesos in Subano royalty tax, since last year.
TVI started its mining operations in 2004 in Siocon, nearly a decade after it obtained its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with the government in 1996. It is currently into gold and silver mining and plans to extract copper and zinc this year.
President Gloria Arroyo's aide and former Mindanao Development Council chairman Jesus Dureza, had previously inspected the mine site and was surprised how clean the TVI's milling area in Canatuan.
TVI claimed to have the support of the majority in Canatuan, which has a population of several thousands. It currently employs more than 650 mostly Subanon tribesmen, plus several hundreds more in other indirect services.
Mateo said they paid more than P30 million in taxes to the government, aside from millions of pesos in Subano royalty tax, since last year.
TVI started its mining operations in 2004 in Siocon, nearly a decade after it obtained its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement with the government in 1996. It is currently into gold and silver mining and plans to extract copper and zinc this year.
President Gloria Arroyo's aide and former Mindanao Development Council chairman Jesus Dureza, had previously inspected the mine site and was surprised how clean the TVI's milling area in Canatuan.
"Everything is in order, the milling area is clean, and we are really surprised by the strict implementation of safety and the TVI's protection of the environment," Dureza said.
President Arroyo thanked Clifford James, TVI's chief executive officer, for the company's long-standing commitment to the Philippines. TVI is a participant in the three-day 15th Mindanao Business Conference in Zamboaga City that started Friday.
It's audio-visual presentation of mining operations in Zamboanga del Norte was applauded by some 200 traders and government representatives because of its world-class milling in Canatuan and the development it brought to the area that benefitted hundreds of tribesmen.
2 comments:
It seems that there are very good things happening here and TVI is getting a lot of press and praises; self-kudos by Mr. Mateo nothwithstanding. Mining is such a problematic process because a lot of the environmental consequences appear long after the miners abandon the site. Just think about the mess left by Zambales Base Metal Mining in our city. I believe you ran some news stories about that lately. Anyway, did anyone reviewed any environmental impact studies, reports, or assessments done by either TVI or DENR? I searched the DENR website for these documents and I have not found any. They should be made available for public review for any mining and similar operations. One should not just take the nice words and self-proclamations by TVI, the government or anybody involved in this issue without independent thorough review of these documents, at least by crusading journalists like you. The public needs to know what specifically TVI is going to do, the effects of
their actions to the environment and residents, the mitigation actions they should do, and what they are going to do to clean up the sites when they leave. By the way, isn't it just last year that the Subanons were up in arms against this project in their ancestral land? Hmmmmmmm, why is the sudden change of heart? Are the Subanons (the ordinary people, not their so-called leaders) really will benefit from the millions poured out to get this project moving? Or they and their decendants will be the recipients of exotic cancers, abnormal births, floodings, landslides, to name a few, long after TVI is gone and the golds that were harvested from their place are being bought back by our OFWs in the gold souks of the Middle East? Just asking *wink*wink*.
Dear Reader,
Thanks a lot for your comment about TVI. You can access the TVI website for details about their operations in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Mabuhay!
Ed.Mindanao Examiner
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