Sunday, July 24, 2011

Small Scale Gold Mining In The Philippines

Davao del Norte
Once known only as "Davao" is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. The capital is Tagum City in its border the province of Agusan del Sur to the north, Bukidnon to the west, Compostela Valley to the east, and the city of Davao to the south. Davao also includes Samal Island to the south in the Davao Gulf. The province of Compostela Valley used to be part of Davao until it was made into an independent province in 1988. Before 1967, the four provinces of Davao, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Compostela Valley were once a single province named Davao. The Davao Region covers this historic province.

Davao del Norte has a population of 743,811 as of the 2000 census,making it the country's 32nd most populated province. The population density is 215 per square kilometer. Main languages spoken are Bisaya and Davaoenio. Davao del Norte is primarily agricultural, but also engages in mining, forestry, and commercial fishing. The principal crops of the province include rice, corn, banana, coconut, abaca, ramie, coffee, variety of fruit and root crops. Davao del Norte is the country's leading producer of bananas, with many plantations run by multinationals such as; Dole Food Company, Del Monte, and local producers such as; Lapanday, TADECO and Marsman. Davao del Norte is also one of Mindanao's leading producer of rice.
Davao Gulf, to the south of the province, provides a living for many fishermen. Some of the fish products include brackish water milkfish, shrimp, and mud crabs; freshwater catfish and tilapia.

Davao del Norte is a major producer of Gold, and its mining products includes silica, copper and elemental sulfur. Small-scale gold mining activities thrive in several areas. There are also numerous active quarries of commercial quantities of gravel, sand, and pebbles for construction. Tourism is also a major part of the economy of Davao del Norte. There are lot of beaches on Samal Island, the most famous of which is Pearl Farm Beach Resort, is just a short boat ride from Davao City. The eleven(11) hectare resort  
was once a real pearl farm that cultivated oysters imported from the Sulu Sea, and produces some of the best pearls in the country. Now the white sand beach resort is a top tourist attraction in Davao del Norte with cottages inspired by Isamal native design.

Compostela, Compostela Valley
Compostela, is a 2nd Class municipality in the province of Compostela Valley, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 61, 667 people in 12, 151 households. Compostela is one of the municipalities that comprise the vast plains of Compostela Valley. Its development started before World War II when the area was still a forest and the only inhabitants were the native. Mandayas who chose to settle along the river banks of the compassionate Agusan River. There no written records as to how Compostela got its name. But, respectable residents believed that it was a temporay Spanish settlements, a "Campo de Castila" of Spanish that came from the Eastern Coast of Davao Oriental. Another version is that a Spanish friar from the East Coast came to the place bringing with him a statue of Senior Santiago de Apostol, patron saint of his birthplace Compostela, Spain and thus named the place Compostela.
Before the outbreak of World War II, Compostela Valley was one of the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes of Mindanao. The office at Dansalan, Lanao under the directorship of Teofisto Guingona, Sr. who was then exercising government control over provinces and municipal districts of Mindanao. However, the bureau was abolished right after the war. The valley was then formed into Compostela-Monkayo Districts and subdivided into three small districts; Monkayo, Compostela and Camansa. Compostela was governed by Mr. Bonifacio Garcia as the district Mayor appointed by the Governor of Davao which during that time was still one province with the Capitol at Davao City. Local government functions were performed by the governor and the district mayors were only ceremonial leaders....to be continued   

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