Cordillera Administrative Region

Despite protests, mining firm starts operations in Kalinga

whit — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:37:55 +0100

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Angered and disgusted with the recent intrusion of Cordillera Exploration Company Inc. (CEXCI) in their hometown, residents of Tawang village, Balbalan sought help from the office of Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) Kalinga to stop the mining activities of CEXCI in the village.

The residents brought with them a report of their inspection in the mine site and a petition to stop CEXCI’s mine operation.

NPA claims torching mining firm’s machinery

whit — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:35:24 +0100

BAGUIO CITY — The New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the torching of a drilling machine of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC) at Colalo village of Mankayan, Benguet on April 25, 2013.

In a statement sent to media, the Jennifer “Maria” Cariño Command of the NPA-Benguet said the action is a punishment to the mining company, and in support and solidarity with the people of Mankayan and with people of other places against the destructive mining operations of LCMC and other giant mining companies in the country.

The drilling operations in Colalo are pa

Senate conducts inquiry on Philex spill

whit — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:49:35 +0100

THE Cordillera People’s Alliance (CPA) recommended during a Senate inquiry last week just compensation for affected Philex folk.

In a statement the CPA recommended to “decommission TP3 (Tailings Pond No. 3) and rehabilitate affected river and terrestrial ecosystems.

Senate probes Philex mining spill

whit — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:50:37 +0000

BAGUIO CITY – The Senate committee on Environment and Natural Resources started the investigation Tuesday on the Philex Mining Corporation’s Padcal mine disaster.

Representatives of the Philex Mining Corporation attended the Senate inquiry on Tuesday.

Fay Apil, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) officer in charge, and over 41 other groups from government and nongovernment organizations also appeared before the Senate hearing.

On July 2012 an unusual amount of water accumulated in tailings pond 3 of Philex located in Balog, Ampucao, Itogon.

A sink hole resulted causing the pon

Philex reopening subjects communities to more disasters

whit — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:10:28 +0000

Environmental activist Kalikasan PNE rebukes the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for allowing the Philex Mining Corp to start their operations and use the company’s damaged Tailings Storage Facility No. 3 (TSF3).

“We condemn the decision of the MGB to allow the resumption of operations of Philex Mining Corp in Padcal, Benguet. MGB and even the DENR have failed to conduct any scientific study on how to best remediate TSF3 and decommission it.

Indigenous Peoples relieved over drill pull out

whit — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:00:08 +0000

BAGUIO CITY — Mankayan indigenous people (IP) of Sitio Madaymen, Tabio, Mankayan of Benguet and members of the Save the Mankayan Movement (SMM) expressed great relief and victory as Far Southeast Gold Resources Inc.

Mayor: Itogon mining, tourism can co-exist

whit — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:01:30 +0000

ITOGON Mayor Oscar Camantiles foresees a marriage between mining and tourism in his town.

Camantiles championed the Benguet Corporation example, which has mined the area for decades and crafted the unique Balatoc underground mine tour, a first in the country.

“It can be done,” he said.

The mine tour is one of the most successful tourism come-ons of the municipality and utilizes the abandoned areas of the mining company, in a bid to preserve employment, culture and to familiarize the public to life inside the mines.

It has so far culled thousands to take the famed tour starting

A granddaughter of Lepanto mines

whit — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:47:47 +0000

Haribon Foundation features women in the book Stories from the Mines … of struggle, sisterhood and solidarity released by Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM); these are the women “who continue to campaign for human dignity, biodiversity conservation and sustainable communities.”

Beverly Longid was born in Lepanto, Mankayan. Her lolo (grandfather), a worker from the Lepanto mines, raised her and her three siblings. An articulate speaker, Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. would have benefitted a lot from her as their organic resource person for their community relations.

In light of coming storm and recent Philex mine disaster

whit — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:32:58 +0000

Inspect, shut down large-scale mines in typhoon Pablo’s path—Kalikasan

As the Philippines braces itself against the upcoming tropical storm Bopha (Pablo), Kalikasan Party-list today warned government agencies to be on red alert for the storm’s impacts on vulnerable communities where large-scale mining operations are ongoing.

“The DENR should be ready to inspect and shut down operations of all large-scale mining sites lying in typhoon Pablo’s path,” Kalikasan Party-list National President Clemente Bautista, Jr. said in a statement.

Lakbayan against ‘Mine Unsafety’ highlights Philex disaster, mining-related rights violations

whit — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:08:04 +0000

BAGUIO CITY – Inter-regional protest caravan led by Defend Patrimony Alliance and the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment dubbed as Lakbayan para sa Ligtas at Makabayang Pagmimina culminated in Baguio City today as an alternative commemoration of the 58th celebration of Mine Safety Week.

Highlighting the worsening environmental disasters and human rights violations (HRVs) caused by large-scale mining, the Lakbayan was attended by contingents from Metro Manila, Ilocos, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan and the Cordillera region as part of a nationally-coordinated protest mobilization