Mining his way up the ladder

A mining engineer born and raised in Benguet was recently appointed as the new president and COO of Philex Mining Corp., the country’s biggest mining firm. Spy Bits sources said the choice of Eulalio Austin Jr. (a member of the Kankanaey tribe in Mountain Province) to replace outgoing president and COO Jose Villaluna did not really come as a surprise given the former’s 28 years of experience with the company. Austin (or Euls to colleagues and friends) mined his way up the corporate ladder having started as a trainee working in the underground tunnel operations a year after his graduation from St. Louis University in Baguio.

 In its recent disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Philex’s core net income reached P3.98 billion for nine months (ending in Sept. 30), with a reported net income of P4.35 billion for the period or up 106 percent – a historic feat for the company. Austin has been tasked to develop the mining firm’s $1-billion Silangan gold copper project located in Surigao del Norte – something that Philex Mining chairman and CEO Manny Pangilinan is closely monitoring.

 MVP was in Benguet a few days ago during the founding anniversary of the province where he reiterated their commitment to responsible mining. Over P120 million has been invested by Philex in numerous projects such as roads, bridges, clinics, educational subsidies and other initiatives to help uplift the residents in the communities in and around the Padcal gold-copper mining area.

‘Give ‘em love, Harry!’

Recently divorced US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas is single once again, but it won’t be surprising to see a change in the US diplomat’s status – and we’re not simply referring to the Facebook kind. An undisclosed source sent Spy Bits an exclusive photo showing the Ambassador in a formal pose with his date identified as Mithi Aquino (no confirmation yet whether she is related to President Noynoy Aquino) taken during the Marine Ball held recently at the US Embassy in Manila.

Those who are familiar with the US Ambassador say he is an amiable person who has the ability to make people warm up to him. Despite the recent controversy where his remarks on human trafficking were misquoted, it would seem that he likes many things about this country, even acquainting his mother Mrs. Hildonia Thomas to the taste of “Pinoy burger” a couple of months ago when he visited the Jollibee fast food chain’s branch in Queens, New York.

A lot of diplomats find themselves falling in love with the country where they are posted - but in the case of Harry Thomas, it looks like he has been smitten. Who knows? Someday he might just make the Philippines his second home.

Spy tidbit

During yesterday’s Kapihan Forum at the diamond hotel, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes reiterated that buying the PCOS machines used during the 2010 presidential elections would be the cheaper option especially now that the approved budget for the poll body is P7 billion - P3 billion short of the proposed budget. The insistence of some sectors to go back to manual counting at the precinct level will be bad for the teachers who might be subjected to harassment in one way or another, Spy Bits sources also said.

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