Vizcaya town remains undecided on gold-copper mine project

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — As of 3 p.m. yesterday, members of the municipal council of the mountain town of Kasibu, the site of the controversial gold and copper project here , have yet to formally decide on the fate of the Philippine-Australian mining venture here.

The 12-member council, who locked themselves up inside the municipal session hall deliberating the highly divisive mining project, was expected to vote either to favor or reject the resumption of the controversial project.

However, Climax Arimco Mining Corp. (CAMC), which funds the gold-copper project here, withdrew the letter it earlier forwarded to the council, seeking endorsement of the project, in anticipation of a rejection by majority of the council members.

Engineer Arnel Arrojo, CAMC project manager, said that their company’s withdrawal of its letter requesting the local council’s endorsement for the project, was precipitated by the earlier series of expression of rejection by majority of the 12-member council.

At least seven council members are expected to vote against the Australian-funded mining project in remote mountain Didipio village in Kasibu.

Didipio, which is dominated by indigenous tribes, is around 70 km from this capital town. Based on exploration studies, the village has at least P25-billion worth of gold and copper deposits, which the government said would help lift the country from the economic crisis.

To secure a full operation permit, CAMC has to obtain two of the three required endorsements from the Didipio Barangay Council , the Kasibu municipal council and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board).

Arrojo said that their company has already obtained the endorsement from the Didipio communities. But with an anticipated rejection by the Kasibu council, CAMC can rest its hopes on the provincial board, whose majority of members, including its presiding officer, Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, have earlier expressed preference for the project.

Anti-mining groups here claimed that majority of the Kasibu villagers are opposed to any form of large-scale mining project in the area. Sister Eden Orlino, administrator of the Catholic Church’s Social Action Commission here, said that 25 out of the 30 barangays in Kasibu already passed resolutions against the mining project.

However, Didipio Councilman Henry Guay said that it should only be the Didipio Barangay Council who should determine or decide on the CAMC project since the operation would only be confined in their area.

CAMC’s operation was stalled in 2001 after then Environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez suspended its Environment Compliance Certificate in the wake of Church-led opposition to the project.

Sensing a defeat at the Kasibu council, pro-mining advocates here instead dared their anti-mining counterparts to conduct a referendum to determine the genuine sentiments of the villagers.