Make Your Stand And Be Heard

This will be my last post for the year 2008. I am posting a video about the ill-effects of mining in Rapu Rapu island in the province of Albay. Please view the video.

Post your comments and be heard for this not only matters today's generation but the future generation as well. Make your stand now!

Happy New Year and God Bless Catanduanes!

Will Northern Catanduanes Be Another Semirara?

This photo above was taken at Semirara open pit coal mine. Below are diagrams from Philippine Department of Energy.

List of Operating Contract Holders
as of 31 January 2007
Company: Monte Oro Resources and Energy Inc.
Location of Mine: Ubi, San Miguel, Caramoran, Catanduanes
Status: Exploration

Contact Person: Mr. Jose Miguel Cabarrus, President CEO
Office Address: 2284 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City
Phone: 893-8409 Fax: 817-4137

source: DOE

source:money.cnn.com/

RELATED LINKS:

• Philippine Mining Act of 1995 - Summary of Philippine Mining Act of 1995
• Responsible Mining Easier Said than Done - Responsible mining the answer to a real Catanduanes development?
• An Island Without Salt - Observations, challenges and food security.
• Sights in the Northern Part - Potential tourist attractions and sights.
• The Road Going to North - Latest view of the new Catanduanes circumferential road and landscape.

A 25-Year Moratorium On Mining Activities

Perhaps its about time for our leaders and policy makers to put an end to the divisive issue of mining in our island. A 25-year moratorium on mining in any form in Catanduanes would be the best Christmas gift for us all.

A moratorium would give us a breathing space to think over what is good for the people of Catanduanes. Refocus our resources and programs for projects that requires immediate attention like tourism, livelihood, health care, education and eventually put to rest the issue of mining exploration.

A moratorium would encourage private resort developers and venture capitalists to reconsider developing our place knowing that their investments are protected from enviromental degradation which is detrimental to a tourism industry.

Like A Mixture Of Oil And Water

CATANDUANES - It is somewhat amusing that recent developments in Catanduanes could be likened to a mixture of oil and water. On one side, an ore magnetite extraction and coal mining, while on the other side are renewable energy plants - hydro and wind.

These power plants in the pipeline right now, will provide us with clean cheap source of energy harnessed using natural elements. A cheap power would encourage industrialists to invest in manufacturing plants in Catanduanes to process our raw materials like the abaca, which is as of now, abundant in our island. Eventually this will make every Catandungans to have a reason to be proud of.

Economically, renewable energy plants will substantially reduce our reliance to expensive crude oil that fuels our double digit inflation.

On one side, mining would strip our forest cover, dredge our seabeds, affect our wildlife's natural habitat, displace some farms and fishing grounds. And worst, flood related stress and increased anxiety levels would no longer be alien to lowlanders during heavy rain.

In addition, the taxes that would be paid by the mining company to our municipal treasury would only end up as a budget for strengthening our river dikes to protect us from floods, annual rehabilitation of bridges and road repairs because it would be plied by very heavy earth moving machines.

Two different scenarios of development that perhaps, one day would obviously split Catanduanes apart, Northern Catanduanes on the north and Southern Catanduanes on the south, just like a mixture of oil and water.

Philippine Mining Act of 1995

With the recent issue of magnetite ore mining overwhemingly opposed by residents in the town of Bagamanoc and recently moved the mining site off the coast of Panganiban (Payo), I am compelled to post this Mining Act to serve as reference.

"Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 (“Act”) is the governing law that regulates mineral resources development in the country. One of the primary objectives of this act is to revitalize the ailing Philippine mining industry by providing fiscal reforms and incentives and maintaining a viable inventory of mineral reserves to sustain the industry through the infusion of fresh capital through direct investments to finance mineral exploration and/or development activities. The original implementing rules and regulations of the Act was prepared in 1995, and was revised in 1996 under DENR Administrative Order 96 – 40, the revised implementing rules and regulations (RIRR).

Collectively, the Act and its RIRR take into consideration the following:

• Local government empowerment
• Respect and concern for the indigenous cultural communities
• Equitable sharing of benefits and natural wealth
• Demands of present generation while providing the foundation for future generations
• Worldwide trend towards globalization
• Protection for and wise management of the environment

The law also contain social and environmental safety nets far stronger than previous mining laws, rules and regulations. It has:

Built-in protection for the Indigenous Peoples (IP) through the prior informed consent requirement, one of, if not the only mining law in the world that contains such requirement, even pre-dating the free and prior informed consent (FPIC) requirement of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997;

Competitive fiscal regime. The fiscal regime is a major consideration among the investor's criteria for investment. The key concern of investors is not the fiscal regime per se, but the overall profitability of the project after considering the taxes. The fiscal regime of the Philippines is considered competitive not only in Asia but throughout the world, according to an independent study by the Institute for Global Resources Policy and Management of the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in the United States in 2000;

Equitable sharing of the benefits of mining among the major stakeholders – the national and local government, the communities and the mining company. Under the fiscal regime, the benefits of mining of mining are approximately shared at 50%:50% between the government and the contractor. The 50% is further divided into 50% for the national government, 10% for the provincial government and 20% each for the municipality and host barangays; and

Environmental and social provisions comparable, if not better than similar provisions in mining laws of established countries. During the World Bank Mine Closure and Sustainable Development Workshop in 2000, the Philippines was among the nations considered to “have (a) comprehensive policy and legislation that provides for both comprehensive mine closure and post-mining sustainable development”. The Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) was also cited as a “tool for community participation”. The SDMP is meant for the development of the host and neighboring communities and is managed by the communities themselves together with the mining company and guidance by the Government and site-base NGOs. In addition, the national wealth sharing scheme, provided under the Local Government Code of 1991 where 40% of mining taxes collected by the national government is flowed back to the communities was cited as “one of the only few wealth sharing scheme of such nature in the world”.

The revised implementing rules and regulations of the Mining Act provides strict adherence to the principles of Sustainable Development which should encompass the economic, social and environmental aspects of human development."

RELATED ARTICLES:

• Rice, Not Mines, Urges Philippines Report - On 9 February at the launch of a new report at Westminster titled, Philippines: Mining or Food?
• DOE Allows Mining of Rich Coal Deposits in Catanduanes - The Department of Energy (DOE) has approved the mining of this island province’s estimated 1.2 million metric tons of high-quality coal deposits.
• Port Construction Turned Into Magnetite Mining in Catanduanes - Report on port construction in Bagamanoc Catanduanes turned into magnetite mining.
• Responsible Mining Easier Said Than Done - Lesson of this south Pacific island nation, once boasted the second-highest per capita GDP in the world thanks to its fabled phosphate mines, Nauru is today destitute..

Responsible Mining: Easier Said Than Done

While others advocates for a responsible mining in Catanduanes, let us not forget the lesson of this south Pacific island nation, once boasted the second-highest per capita GDP in the world thanks to its fabled phosphate mines, Nauru is today destitute...Read More