TVIRD completes 6th shipment of Canatuan copper concentrates

TVIRD officials headed by its President Eugene Mateo and John Ridsdel, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, pose with Siocon Subanon tribal leaders, among them is Timuoy Jose Anoy, during a recent reunification ceremony between tribal chieftains in Mount Canatuan in Zamboanga del Norte province in the southern Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / September 3, 2009) - The TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. (TVIRD) on Thursday said it has completed its sixth shipment of copper concentrates produced at the Canatuan Mine in Zamboanga del norte's Siocon town.

It said the concentrates were shipped from the TVIRD warehouse facility at Santa Maria Port in Siocon in accordance with the offtake arrangement previously entered into between TVIRD and MRI Trading AG (MRI).

The company said it expects to receive a total of US$5.4 million from MRI for roughly 5,264 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of copper concentrates, representing approximately 90% of the estimated value of the total shipment.

Final payment for the remaining sale price of the concentrates (approximately 10%) is due once final details relating to weight, assays and prices are determined, it said.

“This shipment occurred four weeks after the previous shipment, reflecting increased operating throughput and concentrate production achieved by the mine in August. It is anticipated that future shipments of approximately 5,000 dmt each will occur approximately every four weeks depending on specific shipping and marketing arrangements,” the company said in a statement.

The offtake agreement provides that MRI will purchase all of the copper concentrates produced at Canatuan over the anticipated life of the sulphide operation. To date, the Canatuan Mine has produced about 31,300 dmt of copper concentrate. Of that production, some 29,705 dmt has been sold through the offtake agreement with MRI, bringing the company’s total expected gross revenue to US$34.1 million for 2009.

It said funds generated from the sale of the copper concentrates are expected to be allocated by TVIRD to working capital and debt service. (Mindanao Examiner)

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)

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)