Cordillera mining state amid corporate greed 05-10-16

	NORDIS WEEKLY October 16, 2005
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Cordillera mining state amid corporate greed
By WINDEL BOLINGET SECRETARY-GENERAL CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE Part 2 of 3 Mining applications As a result of the government’s mining policy framework and the SC’s decision, new mining applications increased with the revival of old applications overlapping each other and covering vast territories of the Cordillera. M foreign mining companies are entering partnership with the actively operating mining companies in the region such as Lepanto and Philex. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Cordillera Administrative Region (MGB-CAR) received 11 applications for the FTAA, each application costing only P10 per hectare as filing fee at MGB-CAR in accordance to DENR Administrative Order 2000-7. Hence, MGB-CAR collected an amount of P7,207,792. [Table A shows the list of FTAA applications.] As of March 31, 2005, the MGB-CAR processed a total of 114 various types of applications for FTAA (11), Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA - 65), Exploration Permit (EP - 37) and Industrial Sand and Gravel (ISAG - 1). These cover a total land area of more than 1.2 million hectares or more than 66% of the overall land area of the region. [The distribution of the mining applications in various provinces is shown in Table B.] On top of the mentioned applications under process, 15 were approved by the MGB, 9 of which are MPSA (13,166.7700 has.), two are EP (545.675 has.), and four ISAG 53.5 has.). These cover 13.8 million hectares. Benguet province hosts the most number of approved applications, followed by Abra and Kalinga (see table below). It is imperative to note that not a single FTAA filed was approved in the region just after the enactment of the Mining Act ten years ago. This is a victory for the Cordillera peoples throughout the campaign against the Mining Act and imperialist mining which must be carried on. [Locations of approved applications is shown on Table C.] Mining Operations and partner-TNCs Three big mining companies continue operating in the Cordillera, particularly in Benguet. After the Itogon communities successfully stopped the bulk-mining operations of Benguet Corporation, the company shifted to its Acupan Contract Mining Project in Balatoc, also in Itogon. Lepanto is undergoing mining expansion in Mankayan towards Buguias town, also in Benguet, and remains the number one gold producing company in the country. As the main copper producer, Philex Mining Corporation continues to operate in Tuba, Benguet. As Lepanto and Philex expand their operations, they intensify the plunder of the mineral resources, destruction of the environment and livelihood of affected communities in the region as well as the adjacent and downstream communities in Northern Luzon. Lepanto has entered a partnership with Canadian mining company, Ivanhoe Mines. GMA directly invited Ivanhoe to invest in the country with the said company. With a notorious track-record in countries where it operated, Ivanhoe Mines got 12.7% of Lepanto’s investment. Infused with more capital, Lepanto is more financially capable of pursuing expansion projects outside of Mankayan. For this, Ivanhoe enjoys shares in the mining operation and applications covering 16,470 hectares processed for MPSA as well as the 243,000 hectares covered by its FTAA applications in the provinces of Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and Nueva Vizcaya. Lepanto operates its Victoria and Teresa gold projects (with 7 years tax holiday) as it plans to revive its copper porphyry given the continuing rise in the price of copper in the international market. On the other hand, affected communities are persistent in their protests and call to stop the expansion operation of Lepanto because of the impact of its destructive mining operations for several decades. Labor unrest in these mining companies is evident with mineworkers systematically exploited with and their rights consistently violated. This was recently seen in the case of Lepanto when its 1,685 workers went on strike for three months, from June 2 to September 10, 2005, due to deadlocked negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Their proposal for a little wage increase and benefits was consistently denied by management. Led by the Lepanto Employees Union-NAFLU-KMU, the workers and their families carried on with the strike amid inhuman treatment and human rights violations committed by the Lepanto management and the Philippine National Police. As in the 2003 strike by the same workers, peasant communities showed their firm support to the legitimate strike of the workers. International, national, and regional broad support was also shown in solidarity for the striking workers, for genuine unionism, and against corporate greed and domination. They have won in that battle with the supreme sacrifice of their 19 union officers who were dismissed so more than a thousand other workers will not be dismissed. Still the 19 officers will represent the workers in the ongoing negotiation for the new CBA. In the labor conflict, the management has only shown that all that matters is corporate profit above workers’ interests and welfare. All it wants is to ensure all strategic threats to its interest like eliminating the workers’ genuine union and employing all means possible to attack all support to the workers for billions of profit in its succeeding operations. Yet, the strike demonstrated that a capitalist monster cannot just underestimate the strength united and determined workers who fight for their rights as a class; especially if other exploited classes such as peasants and other marginalized sectors is one with them. Philex mines maintain partnership with Anglo-American Mining Company based in South Africa. With mining investments all over the world, it competes with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto as the biggest mining company worldwide. Anglo-American and Philex operate Northern Luzon Exploration as a joint-venture. Anglo-American owns 50% of Philex Gold and has interests on the 1,019 hectares of approved and ongoing applications of Philex and Northern Luzon Exploration. As a partner of Philex, Anglo-American shares over the 22,712 hectares covered by the contracts and applications of the former for MPSA. Philex has been subject to the investigation of the Benguet Provincial Board and the public on the issue of its forced decongestion program and outright denial of children of retrenched workers to enroll in schools within the mine site. The company obviously shows no regard for the miners and their families after profiting from their labor. Other than Philex, Anglo-American solely owns and operates the Cordillera Exploration. On top of the 27,804 hectares covered by its applications for EP in the provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, and Ifugao, Cordillera Exploration has a single FTAA application with 77,549 hectares which covers the provinces of Abra, Mt. Province and Benguet in the Cordillera, and Ilocos Sur of Ilocos Region. It has taken over this FTAA application previously owned by Newmont. Other foreign mining companies with investments and interest in the Cordillera are Terra Nova, Canadian mining company which owns most of Wolfland Resources, and Oxiana of Australia. (Next week: GMA’s priority mining projects)
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	NORDIS WEEKLY October 16, 2005
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Cordillera mining state amid corporate greed
By WINDEL BOLINGET SECRETARY-GENERAL CORDILLERA PEOPLES ALLIANCE Part 2 of 3 Mining applications As a result of the government’s mining policy framework and the SC’s decision, new mining applications increased with the revival of old applications overlapping each other and covering vast territories of the Cordillera. M foreign mining companies are entering partnership with the actively operating mining companies in the region such as Lepanto and Philex. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Cordillera Administrative Region (MGB-CAR) received 11 applications for the FTAA, each application costing only P10 per hectare as filing fee at MGB-CAR in accordance to DENR Administrative Order 2000-7. Hence, MGB-CAR collected an amount of P7,207,792. [Table A shows the list of FTAA applications.] As of March 31, 2005, the MGB-CAR processed a total of 114 various types of applications for FTAA (11), Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA - 65), Exploration Permit (EP - 37) and Industrial Sand and Gravel (ISAG - 1). These cover a total land area of more than 1.2 million hectares or more than 66% of the overall land area of the region. [The distribution of the mining applications in various provinces is shown in Table B.] On top of the mentioned applications under process, 15 were approved by the MGB, 9 of which are MPSA (13,166.7700 has.), two are EP (545.675 has.), and four ISAG 53.5 has.). These cover 13.8 million hectares. Benguet province hosts the most number of approved applications, followed by Abra and Kalinga (see table below). It is imperative to note that not a single FTAA filed was approved in the region just after the enactment of the Mining Act ten years ago. This is a victory for the Cordillera peoples throughout the campaign against the Mining Act and imperialist mining which must be carried on. [Locations of approved applications is shown on Table C.] Mining Operations and partner-TNCs Three big mining companies continue operating in the Cordillera, particularly in Benguet. After the Itogon communities successfully stopped the bulk-mining operations of Benguet Corporation, the company shifted to its Acupan Contract Mining Project in Balatoc, also in Itogon. Lepanto is undergoing mining expansion in Mankayan towards Buguias town, also in Benguet, and remains the number one gold producing company in the country. As the main copper producer, Philex Mining Corporation continues to operate in Tuba, Benguet. As Lepanto and Philex expand their operations, they intensify the plunder of the mineral resources, destruction of the environment and livelihood of affected communities in the region as well as the adjacent and downstream communities in Northern Luzon. Lepanto has entered a partnership with Canadian mining company, Ivanhoe Mines. GMA directly invited Ivanhoe to invest in the country with the said company. With a notorious track-record in countries where it operated, Ivanhoe Mines got 12.7% of Lepanto’s investment. Infused with more capital, Lepanto is more financially capable of pursuing expansion projects outside of Mankayan. For this, Ivanhoe enjoys shares in the mining operation and applications covering 16,470 hectares processed for MPSA as well as the 243,000 hectares covered by its FTAA applications in the provinces of Benguet, Ilocos Sur, and Nueva Vizcaya. Lepanto operates its Victoria and Teresa gold projects (with 7 years tax holiday) as it plans to revive its copper porphyry given the continuing rise in the price of copper in the international market. On the other hand, affected communities are persistent in their protests and call to stop the expansion operation of Lepanto because of the impact of its destructive mining operations for several decades. Labor unrest in these mining companies is evident with mineworkers systematically exploited with and their rights consistently violated. This was recently seen in the case of Lepanto when its 1,685 workers went on strike for three months, from June 2 to September 10, 2005, due to deadlocked negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Their proposal for a little wage increase and benefits was consistently denied by management. Led by the Lepanto Employees Union-NAFLU-KMU, the workers and their families carried on with the strike amid inhuman treatment and human rights violations committed by the Lepanto management and the Philippine National Police. As in the 2003 strike by the same workers, peasant communities showed their firm support to the legitimate strike of the workers. International, national, and regional broad support was also shown in solidarity for the striking workers, for genuine unionism, and against corporate greed and domination. They have won in that battle with the supreme sacrifice of their 19 union officers who were dismissed so more than a thousand other workers will not be dismissed. Still the 19 officers will represent the workers in the ongoing negotiation for the new CBA. In the labor conflict, the management has only shown that all that matters is corporate profit above workers’ interests and welfare. All it wants is to ensure all strategic threats to its interest like eliminating the workers’ genuine union and employing all means possible to attack all support to the workers for billions of profit in its succeeding operations. Yet, the strike demonstrated that a capitalist monster cannot just underestimate the strength united and determined workers who fight for their rights as a class; especially if other exploited classes such as peasants and other marginalized sectors is one with them. Philex mines maintain partnership with Anglo-American Mining Company based in South Africa. With mining investments all over the world, it competes with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto as the biggest mining company worldwide. Anglo-American and Philex operate Northern Luzon Exploration as a joint-venture. Anglo-American owns 50% of Philex Gold and has interests on the 1,019 hectares of approved and ongoing applications of Philex and Northern Luzon Exploration. As a partner of Philex, Anglo-American shares over the 22,712 hectares covered by the contracts and applications of the former for MPSA. Philex has been subject to the investigation of the Benguet Provincial Board and the public on the issue of its forced decongestion program and outright denial of children of retrenched workers to enroll in schools within the mine site. The company obviously shows no regard for the miners and their families after profiting from their labor. Other than Philex, Anglo-American solely owns and operates the Cordillera Exploration. On top of the 27,804 hectares covered by its applications for EP in the provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, and Ifugao, Cordillera Exploration has a single FTAA application with 77,549 hectares which covers the provinces of Abra, Mt. Province and Benguet in the Cordillera, and Ilocos Sur of Ilocos Region. It has taken over this FTAA application previously owned by Newmont. Other foreign mining companies with investments and interest in the Cordillera are Terra Nova, Canadian mining company which owns most of Wolfland Resources, and Oxiana of Australia. (Next week: GMA’s priority mining projects)
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