Philippines Welcome Miners not Polluters of Environment

Associated Press
Published in Yahoo News

Manila, Philippines(AP)-Philippine officials pledged support Wednesday for the mining industry as it undergoes a boom but warned companies they cannot dirty the environment, hide revenues or obtain mining permits only to raise fund on the stock market.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said mining is forecast to grow 17 percent this year, with the metal sector seen rising 24 percent. He said investments may reach $18 billion by 2016, nearly five fold the $3.8 billion over the last six years.

Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa said the country will ensure transparency in revenues by participating in the London-based Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative that requires companies and governments to publish what they pay and receive.

The officials spoke before a mining conference, where industry leaders appealed for more government support.

Philippines Open Pit Mining

The Philippines is the world's fifth most mineral rich country, with large reserves of minerals including gold, copper and nickel.

Benjamin Philip Romualdez, president of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, said the local mining industry  is on the verge of its biggest boom in history as robust metal prices draw more local and foreign investors.
But he said a government moratorium on mining permits and a concerted campaign by environment activists against mining are threatening $14 billion to $20 billion in potential investments in the next five years.

Last year, investment reached $956 million and could have surpassed $1 billion had some projects not been delayed, he added. As we allow you to do mining in the Philippines ,we cannot allow you to pollute the environment. Environment Secretary Paje told the conference. Sec. Paje also clarified that the government has not suspended the issuance of permits but wants to first find out what happened to the 500 mining permits it has issued, where only 30 or 6 percent were in operation.
The Secretary said 94 percent of the permits have apparently been sold, traded or used to raise company shares in the stock market. "To those who want to do mining are welcome, to those who will not are not welcome,"he added.

Ochoa said the mining industry is considerably being investigated by various sectors because of the previous harm carelessness being done to the environment and remote communities elsewhere in the Philippines.
For the operator or miners to be acceptable, they must be guided by the principles of sustainable economic development, environmental protection be in place, social equity and of course good governance, Mr Ochoa added.

Commentary:  Mining should not be allowed by the present government unless the ruins of previous operation will be repaired. There were several mining sites that still needs to be rehabilitated in order to normalize the environment. The ruins of former mines had been left unattended and the implements still remains and getting rotten and it is not being cleared by the former mining operator.
The Open Pit mining is a menace to the environment and it cannot be repaired whatsoever. That will stay open on the face of the earth till the end of time. The land that surrounds them will not be arable anymore it cannot be used for farming for such a long time. Our government must be decisive and should formulate strict implementation of mining laws and guidelines with foreign mining operators. Foreign mining operators
who are blacklisted in their own country find ways to do their business here in the Philippine for they knew that they can bribe the government easily for they believe it is corrupt.

Shallow Open Pit Mining

Unknown Gold To Whom Does It Belong "Yamashita or Central Bank"?

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   

Rogelio Roxas (Additional on Roxas Story)

Rogelio "Roger" Domingo Roxas (died May 25, 1993) was a former Filipino soldier who had work as a locksmith before allegedly discovering in a cave north of Manila a hidden chamber full of gold bars and a Golden Buddha statue-which Roxas estimated to weighs one metric ton on a plot of state-owned land near Baguio General Hospital, in Baguio City on January 24, 1971. Roxas claimed that the Buddha's head was removable and that it concealed a hollowed-out portion within the statue that contained at least two handfuls of uncut diamonds. The cache was alleged to be a portion of the legendary Yamashita treasure.

The Seizure of Gold

On April 5, 1971, Roxas claimed that armed men purportedly from the National Bureau Investigation (N.B.I.) forcibly confiscated the gold bars and statue from his home in Aurora Hills, Baguio City. On April 19, 1971 the military deposited a Buddha statue at the Baguio City Court; however, Roxas proclaimed that it was not the same statue taken from him. Roxas later claimed that then-President Ferdinand Marcos orchestrated the raid and was in possession of the treasure. Roxas was arrested in Cabanatuan City by three men in civilian clothing on May 18, 1971 and jailed for several years. (more on Yamashita treasure)....

The Loot of Luzon : Luzon is the Philippines biggest island and is located to the North. (The article written by) Mike Tharp; Shortly before his trial for war crimes, Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita was asked what was the main cause of Japan's defeat. according to John Dower a historian, the general "responded with the only answer what he know in English word in the whole interview and that is "Science". Science as it turns out, has almost nothing to do his personal character. As it was told, Emperor Hirohito had commanded him to hide tons of gold and other treasures in a maze of bomb-trapped Philippine tunnels, the treasure that supposedly used to restore Japan in rebuilding from the ruins of war for they foresee it's nearing defeat from the Allied Forces. Historians had not found the most concrete evidence of the Yamashita treasure, but the story had just appear to have a life of its own. After from the long time of hiding the general had get out of his hiding place in the mountains of Sierra Madre and the Cordillera and surrendered to the U.S. Forces. According to some historians Yamashita concealed the gold and the treasures in small quantity as he transferred from place to place in the Philippine islands for hiding prior to his surrender. Some say that portion of the treasure were shipped to Japan but was unable to reached due to relentless bombing by the Allied Forces among vessels that is trying to sail towards Japan.

Related Events: Until now, many Filipinos still believed that fragments of Yamashita treasure still exist in different places of the Philippines. In Negros Island alone there were so many places where Japanese individuals financed the search of the treasure encouraged by the local former guerilla. Normally the diggings were done during night time to evade the activity to onlookers. In Silay city according to some witnesses that the diggings were done on the highway in route to the city but, it was done during night time. Complete motorized heavy machinery were employed to do it faster. the road were paved during the morning as if nothing had been moved except for the road sign "wet cement". 

In another occasion the road to Canlaon City was rerouted for a few days and heavy machines arrived to build a bridge as a ploy to their diggings of treasure. When the box was found containing what they were looking the constructions was rushed by the Japanese contractor. Local resident still can pinpoint where the box was taken. It was just along the bank on the side of the road. the contents of the box was not known. It was hurriedly loaded to a waiting dump truck was driven to nowhere nobody could tell where it went with the box. By this event in Negros many local treasure hunters were enhanced to find part of the treasure causing to some accident that put them into dangers. Others were buried alive while digging on the spot were they decided. For those who did not saw it was very doubtful to believed. But, for those who witnessed some successful diggings by the Japanese it was hard to ignore the story and the secrets of Yamashita treasure. 

Rogelio Roxas (additional story)