http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/sept/06/yehey/prov/20060906pro5.html

COMPOSTELA VALLEY: A group of small-scale miners found rich gold veins in the shallow depths in Mount Pyagabangan, which can be reached through an eight-hour walk eastward from New Bataan, Compostela Valley.

Mount Pyagabangan is part of the mountain range of nearby Mount Manurigao.
Starting-up tunnel financier Sergio de la Cruz (his real name was not disclosed for security reasons), claimed the mountain “is really rich with high-grade gold veins that can be found in shallow tunnel diggings.”

Earlier, a member of another small-scale mining group said they “scored” about 30 milligrams of gold from a pitcher of gold muck ores from their initial diggings.

A milligram of gold fetches about P500 among New Bataan gold buyers.

De la Cruz said rich gold veins in the mountain were struck by a group of small-scale mining prospectors last January.

He said he heard about people who got an average of not less than five milligrams of gold from half a sack of gold ores.

“Not all tunnels there hit gold-rich veins but there’s always gold samples from their excavated ores in that mountain. There are still few tunnels in the area while visibly people have started going up to the mountain since last week,” he added.

He said Mount Pyagabangan can be reached by foot via Barangay Liboton, where prospectors would hike for six to 10 hours passing through winding terrains and ravines to reach the newest gold-rush mountain.

Compostela Valley is being touted as the gold ore capital in the country.
–PNA