Metro Manila catholic schools are set to have a more active campaign on ecological issues as it launches the school road show on ecology, indigenous peoples and mining on September 1 at the Manila Cathedral during the Mass celebrated by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales.
The Alyansa Tigil sa Mina (ATM) supports this launching of the school road show to focus on ecology, indigenous peoples and mining and sees this as a good sign of the church and the academe getting more involved in the campaign in ecological conservation, particularly mining.
“We are anticipating a more committed and active involvement of the schools in this campaign, especially as we try to make them more aware of the plight of the indigenous peoples in the Philippines and how they are the ones truly affected by the entry of large-scale mining companies,” Jaybee Garganera of the ATM Secretariat said.

(read more by downloading the full press release from rapidshare)

(A University Stand)

visit http://www.adnu.edu.ph/institutes/inecar
(for more information, researches and position papers about Rapu-Rapu-Mining)

Mining must not be conducted in Rapu-Rapu for the following reasons: a) Rapu-Rapu is an island ecosystem with steep slope; b) It is characterized by a Type II climate - no dry season with very pronounced wet period from November to January (PAGASA Corona classification); c) It is located along typhoon path; and d) Its massive iron sulfide rocks are capable of generating sulfuric acid. These geophysico-chemical conditions are the reasons why, within only four months of operation, Lafayette mining caused two cyanide spills and fish-kills in October 11 and 31, 2005. Apparently, it also brought about fish-kills in the adjacent province of Sorsogon.

click here to see full position paper

click here to see stock holders

Tels.: (052) 481-2178 Fax: (052) 481-2554
Birth : 09-08-38
Priesthood : 12-31-61
Episcopate : 05-31-78

His Excellency
MOST REV. LUCILO B. QUIAMBAO, D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of Legazpi
Cathedral Rectory
4500 Legazpi City, Albay

Tels.: (052)480-7192 Fax: (052)480-7192
Birth : 10-30-32
Priesthood : 04-02-60
Episcopate : 04-27-82

His Excellency
MOST REV. LEONARDO Z. LEGASPI, OP, D.D.
Archbishop of Caceres
Archbishop’s Residence 4400 Naga City

Tels.: (054) 473-8583 Fax: (054)473-2800
Birth : 11-25-35
Priesthood : 12-17-60
Episcopate : 08-08-77

His Excellency
MOST REV. JOSE R. ROJAS, JR., DD
Auxiliary Bishop of Caceres
Archbishop’s Residence
4400 Naga City

Tels: (054) 811-2211 Fax: (054) 473-2800
Birth : 08-18-56
Priesthood : 03-29-81
Episcopate : 09-15-05

His Excellency
MOST REV. MANOLO A. DE LOS SANTOS, D.D.
Bishop of Virac
Bishop’s Residence, Fiat Village, Cavinitan
Virac, 4800 Catanduanes

Tels.: (052)811-1408 / 811-1315 Fax: (052)811-1456
Birth : 08-05-47
Priesthood : 05-07-74
Episcopate : 09-12-94

His Excellency
MOST REV. JOEL Z. BAYLON, D.D.
Bishop of Masbate
Bishop’s Residence
Masbate, 5400 Masbate

Telefax: (056)333-2202
Birth : 01-29-54
Priesthood : 10-18-78
Episcopate : 03-25-98

His Excellency
MOST REV. BENJAMIN J. ALMONEDA, D.D.
Bishop of Daet
Bishop’s Residence
Daet, 4600 Camarines Norte

Tels.: (054) 721-1431 / 721-1625 Fax: (054) 440-1474
Birth : 04-11-30
Priesthood : 03-22-58
Episcopate : 01-06-90

His Excellency
MOST REV. ARTURO M. BASTES, SVD, D.D.
Bishop of Sorsogon
Bishop’s Residence
Sorsogon, 4700 Sorsogon

Tels.: (056)211-1289 Fax: (056)211-1842
Birth : 04-01-44
Priesthood : 11-28-70
Episcopate : 08-21-97

His Excellency
MOST REV. PROSPERO N. ARELLANO, D.D.
Bishop Prelate of Libmanan
Bishop’s Residence
Libmanan, 4407 Camarines Sur

Tels.: (054)451-2098 Fax: (054)451-2011
Birth : 01-17-37
Priesthood : 03-30-63
Episcopate : 03-19-90

Universidad de Santa Isabel, Naga City, 10 August 2006

We, the Bikol Clergy - Bishops, Priests and Deacons - gathered at the Second Bikol Priests’ Congress (BPC II), wish to convey our strong opposition to the continued presence and operations of Lafayette Philippines, Inc. and its subsidiaries, RRMI and RRPI in Rapu-Rapu, Albay.

Our stand is supported by the findings of the Rapu-Rapu Fact-Finding Commission (RRFFC), headed by Bishop Arturo Bastes, S.V.D., D.D., and solid scientific studies conducted by the Ateneo de Naga University-Institute for Environmental Conservation and Research (INECAR). Studies done by Dr. Emelina Regis, INECAR Director, find the island dangerously unsuitable for mining due to the following reasons:

“[It is an] island ecosystem with steep slopes; [it has a] Type II climate,[Le.,]there is no dry season, with very pronounced wet period from November to January;[it is] located along the typhoon path; and [it has] massive iron sulphide rocks with acid-generating capacity or Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)…The resulting impacts of AMD include death to living organisms and release of toxic heavy metals that causes loss of productivity of aquatic and terrestrial plants… [and ultimately,] destruction of livelihood in agriculture and fisheries…These impacts will persist for a long time. Heavy rains will continue to erode loosened contaminated soil. Silt and tailings that poison the land and sea will leave behind unproductive land and dead coral reefs… There is no justice in sacrificing the survival of generations of people and other living organisms for the short-term gains of a few.” (INECAR Position Paper regarding mining in Rapu-Rapu: Closure of Lafayette Mine, 15 February 2006)

Thus, we, the Bikol Clergy, support the pastoral stand of the Dioceses of Legazpi and Sorsogon which they have held consistently from the very start: that mining must not be conducted in Rapu-Rapu and that the best course of action is the immediate closure of the Lafayette mine.
We continue to express our opposition to the 30-day Temporary Lifting Order (TLO) by the DENR that allowed a test run of mining operations by Lafayette, which, many of us believe, is but a ploy and a prelude to regular operations.

We view with much concern the glaring lack of transparency in the investigation of the most recent fish kill, which happened on 18, 21 and 22 July 2006, in one of the creeks in Rapu-Rapu, and reports of harassment of potential witnesses and of an independent research team which tried to get samples from the area.

We support the recommendations of the Rapu-Rapu Fact-Finding Commission (RRFFC). In particular, we wish to highlight some of these recommendations and appeal to the President, the DENR Secretary, con-cerned government agencies and LGUs, to consider them as moral imperatives: •

 “Cancel the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) of RRMI and RRPI” for serious violations of the ECC conditionalities, and above-mentioned reasons.

 “Cancel the RRMI and RRPI Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) registration on the basis of the irregularities found (by the RRFFC) and for the reason that the Rapu-Rapu LGU has been unduly deprived of local taxes.” •

 Review RA. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, and repeal provisions that put the interest of the Filipino people at a disadvantage.

May we open our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit.
Then He shall renew the face of the earth.
His Excellency

MOST REV. NESTOR C. CARIÑO, D.D.
Bishop of Legazpi

MOST REV. LUCILO B. QUIAMBAO, D.D.
Auxiliary Bishop of Legazpi

MOST REV. LEONARDO Z. LEGASPI, OP, D.D.
Archbishop of Caceres

MOST REV. JOSE R. ROJAS, JR., DD
Auxiliary Bishop of Caceres

MOST REV. MANOLO A. DE LOS SANTOS, D.D.
Bishop of Virac

MOST REV. JOEL Z. BAYLON, D.D.
Bishop of Masbate

MOST REV. BENJAMIN J. ALMONEDA, D.D.
Bishop of Daet

MOST REV. ARTURO M. BASTES, SVD, D.D.
Bishop of Sorsogon

MOST REV. PROSPERO N. ARELLANO, D.D.
Bishop Prelate of Libmanan

With 234 clergy signatories, including the above-mentioned seven bishops of the dioceses of Bikol.

Our file storage system is ungainly, but with our dedicated website soon to launch, expect a major overhaul and excellent online resources.

Several protest actions in Brussels, Belgium yesterday (Sept. 12) unmasked Gloria Arroyo, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police as the masterminds of the political killings in the Philippines.

After being criticized by the prime minister of Finland during GMA’s visit there, GMA was hounded by several protests in Brussels during her visit to the Belgian Parliament and the European Union.

Before being reminded by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso that the political killings in the Philippines “were a matter of concern” to the EU during their meeting, about 100 protesters gathered earlier at the Schuman plaza fronting the European Commission building to denounce GMA, the AFP and the PNP as “the masterminds” behind the political killings.

The Belgian, Dutch and Filipino protesters carried a big banner in full view of many motorists and pedestrians demanding to “Stop the Political Killings”. They also paraded placards that read: “GMA, Norberto Gonzalez, War Criminals”, “R.I.P. (Rot In Prison)” referring to the war crimes tribunal in the Hague , and “GMA, AFP, PNP — masterminds of political killings”. They occupied the small plaza and laid out wooden crosses and photos of some of the more than 740 persons murdered by military death squads allegedly directed by GMA herself and the Cabinet Oversight Committee on Internal Security.

Inga Verhaer and Eloi Glorieux, members of the Belgian and Flemish Parliaments, respectively, were among the protesters. They spoke to the crowd about the need to defend human rights and democracy in the Philippines and to stamp out repressive regimes.

Marie Hilao, general secretary of Karapatan-Philippines, also joined the protest and spoke to expose GMA’s direct responsibility for the political killings. Hilao is scheduled later to fly to Geneva to file a formal complaint in behalf of the victims of the political killings and their families with the UN Human Rights Council.

The crowd composed mainly of Belgian trade union and solidarity activists were later joined by Dutch and Filipino activists and some Filipinos working in Brussels .

At the American embassy

Later in the afternoon, Belgian, Latin American, Dutch and Filipino activists joined in a noisy protest infront of the American embassy in Brussels to condemn the continuing persecution and detention of the so-called “Cuban Five”. A representative of Committee DEFEND spoke about how the US government and its puppet regimes demonize patriots and revolutionaries. Committee DEFEND also denounced the terrorist listing by the US and the EU that has encouraged GMA, the AFP and the PNP to murder political activists.

At the Cathedral

While Gloria Arroyo was capping her day in Brussels with a 6 p.m. Mass with the Filipino community at the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudule along Parvis Sainte-Gudule in downtown Brussels, 14 Belgian, Dutch and Filipino activists tried to mount a silent protest by standing in front of the church with the wooden crosses and photos of the victims of the political killings.

Apparently alarmed at the sight of the protesters, Filipino security personnel were seen calling the local Belgian police to prevent protesters from coming close to the church and the presidential party.

The Belgian police confiscated some of the photos displayed by the protesters and asked for their European identity cards, and told the activists they were violating the law by not asking for a permit.

When the protesters retorted that they were not violating any law because they were merely burning candles for the murdered victims of Gloria Arroyo and praying for justice, the police threatened to haul them off to the local police precint arguing that praying is allowed only inside the church. A police officer almost lost his cool when an activist asked him if they were specifically requested by GMA’s security personnel to prevent protesters from coming close to her.

After confidently making their point, the activists dispersed peacefully.

British and Filipino solidarity activists are also expected to hound GMA with protests when she visits London this week.

For reference:

MIGRANTE Europe ( Amsterdam , The Netherlands )
Keizersgracht 132, 1015 CW Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Email: mig_europe@yahoo.com

September 13, 2006

Boac, Marinduque - The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC), a church-based multi-sectoral organization in the Province of Marinduque is alarmed by the proliferation of mining companies in the Island-Province and other parts of the country which pose as ’small-scale’ players in the mining industry.

Just recently two mining companies, the Asian Iron Ore Corporation and Archean Mining Corporation, held a public consultation in Barangay Bocboc offering various economic opportunities to the people if they will be allowed to operate a “small-scale iron mining project.”

Barangay Bocboc is in the town of Mogpog and was one of the barangays which was grimly and critically affected by an enormoug flooding wrought by the collapse of Marcopper Mining Corporation’s Maguila-guila Siltation Dam on December 6, 1993 where two children died of drowning. Their civil case filed against Marcopper Mining Corporation and Placer Dome is still being heard in the Regional Trial Court of Marinduque.

“Is this an indication that anti-mining advocates and environmentalists are already winning the struggle against large-scale mining and the administration’s mineral liberalization program?,” asked Myke Magalang, Executive Secretary of MACEC.

“This also seems to be a circumvention of the environmental impact assessment process for medium and large-scale mining operations because in order to avoid the scrutiny of national and international anti-mining groups, mining companies are deploying ‘never-heard small or dummy corporations’ to make it appear that they will only operate small-scale mining projects in a locality. Small -scale mining operations are processed by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Boards,” added Magalang

There were also reports of similar incidents in Agusan del Norte which prompted the people of La Fraternidad and Binuangan in the Municipality of Tubay to oppose the approval of the small-scale mining permits for nickel and cobalt of Galeo Equipment Corporation, SR Metal Incorporated and San-R Construction Corporation.

Despite these realities, “the people of Marinduque will continue to struggle for a mining-free province in order to regain the lost integrity of our island paradise. We will invoke the 50-year mining moratorium imposed by the Sangguniang Panlalwigan in 2005 and the unanimous stance of all the legislative bodies of the province to delist the San Antonio Copper Project
from the mining priority list of the Arroyo Administration. We have been host to three large-scale copper & mining operations for the past 30 years but their ill-effects are still hounding our environment and the people’s health, livelihood and food security,” Magalang emphasized.

“As we celebrate today the 106th Anniversary of the Battle of Pulang Lupa, one of the rare battles where the Filipino revolutionaries won against the superior armaments of the American colonizers during the Filipino-American War, we reiterate the portion of the Marinduque Declaration ‘that our struggle for environmental justice is no different or less important than
that of the illustrious Marinduqueño revolutionaries of the past who made history in the rare victories against the Americans,’” reiterated Magalang.

He also called on all other environmental groups, anti-mining advocates and other advocacy groups ” to document and expose other ‘pseudo small-scale’ mining permit applications in order to alert the people, expose to the media and effectively wage an all-out lobbying and monitoring activities in the Provincial Mining Regulatory Boards and regional offices of DENR’s
Environmental Management Bureaus which process the ECCs.”

MYKE R. MAGALANG
Executive Secretary
Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns
Second Floor, Cathedral Compound, High Town,
Boac, 4900 Marinduque, Tel. Nos. (042) 332-2713
myke_sacmarinduque@yahoo.com

An international mining conference in the Philippines next month has been postponed, the local industry association said Tuesday, amid reported concerns over government policies on exploiting the country’s vast mineral resources.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines announced on its website that the October 3 to 5 meeting had been postponed until next year, with the date “to be announced later.”
The statement gave no reason for the postponement.

Mining executives here had planned to use the Manila meeting to make foreign investors more aware of the country’s untapped resources sector, said to be worth in excess of one trillion dollars.

Meanwhile, Manila newspapers on Tuesday quoted a Chamber of Mines letter to President Arroyo which said the meeting was postponed in order to shield the administration from “operational and governance issues that will inevitably surface in an international conference and could reverberate to the global mining community.”

In the August 29 letter, Chamber president Benjamin Philip Romualdez noted a policy shift on mining, referring to a government decision to offer only 24 permits on priority projects rather than open up the industry in full, as had been approved by the Supreme Court.

This “has led mining companies to believe and confirm their early suspicions that investment policies in the Philippines are not stable and are heightened by high political risks,” Romualdez said.

“This has led to stymied investment inflows affecting the country’s competitiveness as a mining destination, and a wait-and-see attitude once again from our foreign investors,” he added.
The Supreme Court last year ended a seven-year legal dispute over the constitutionality of the country’s Mining Act by ruling that foreign investors were freely allowed into the industry.

That move had been, and continues to be opposed by some very influential groups, including some in the church, who argue that foreign mining companies will despoil the country and strip it of its mineral resources without giving a fair return.

It was to head off such opposition that the government, after pressing for the Supreme Court ruling, decided to allow only 24 permits, effectively limiting the scope of foreign investment.
The Chamber of Mines also noted moves by some sections of Congress to repeal the mining act which increased permitted foreign ownership of local mining companies from 40 to 100 percent. AFP

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/11 Sep) — A known player in Australia’s mining industry is likely to directly dip its finger in mining activities in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, reports said.

Xstrata Copper is likely acquire anytime this September 62.5 percent of the Australian firm Indophil Resources NL, which in turn holds a 40-percent stake at Sagittarius Mines, Inc., the company doing explorations in the area, said Rolando Doria, Sagittarius project coordinator.

The remaining 60 percent of Sagittarius is owned by local stakeholders, he added.

The Australian partner, however, has been providing management, technical and financial assistance to the mining venture as local stakeholders have no capability and resources yet.

The mining project straddles the towns of Tampakan in South Cotabato, Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur. It was resurrected in 2003 by Sagittarius from previous owner Western Mining Corp.

Tony Robbins, Indophil managing director, said that it will cost Xstrata only A$50 million to make its move, which he described as like “winning the lottery.”

The global resource estimate for the Tampakan project is two billion tons at a 0.72-percent copper equivalent, containing 11.6 million tons of copper and 14.6 million ounces of gold at 0.3 percent copper cut-off grade, said Damien Nihill a full time Sagittarius employee and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

Xstrata’s acquisition attempt of the Tampakan project has been around since 2005.

This time last year, Xtrata Copper chief executive Mick Davis has expressed satisfaction over the way things are progressing at the Tampakan project.

Davis said in a statement that Xstrata is propped up by the prospects of the mining venture in the Southern Philippines given the quality of the deposits.

Last March, Xstrata and Indophil also strengthened their ties with the appointment to the Indophil board of directors of Xstrata executive Louis Irvine.

“He brings a wealth of mining and project finance experience to the company. Mr Irvine’s appointment strengthens the link between Indophil and Xstrata Copper. His acceptance of a seat on the Indophil board further demonstrates Xstrata’s strong interest in the development of the company’s Tampakan copper-gold project,” Indophil chairman Brian Phillips said.

The value of Indophil shares listed at the Australian Stock Exchange has reportedly been rising since late last month as time ticks in for Xstrata to exercise its option.

The expected takeover of Xstrata this month will reportedly lead to major changes among the local management staff, but a Sagittarius insider doubted. “We’re hoping the entry of Xstrata will not cause management disturbance,” said the source who requested anonymity, stressing they have been very professional in carrying out their work, especially in getting the support of the communities and the government.

Also this month, Sagittarius is expected to finish its prefeasibility study worth A$27 million but interesting development in the field is forming towards a drilling extension.

Company officials noted, however, that the prefeasibility study is on schedule and would be delivered on September 30 to the boards of Indophil and Xstrata.

Sagittarius said that evaluation program continues in the vicinity of the Tampakan deposit, and it is expected that it will be followed up with an extended drilling program later this year or early next year.

Sagittarius has been drill testing ground to the east of its Tampakan project as part of an evaluation program to identify possible sites for infrastructure placement.

Results from three of five diamond drill holes have been known.

“The drillhole results may not prove to be economic in their own right. However, the level and consistency of mineralization support the belief that there may be other significant copper-gold deposits in the Tampakan district. There is growing evidence that the district will evolve into a mineralised ‘camp,’ comparable to other world class porphyry copper deposits, and this is exciting,” said Robbins said.