Nueva Vizcaya council thumbs down gold-copper venture

KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya — As expected, majority of the 12-member municipal council here voted against the request of a foreign company for an endorsement of its multibillion-peso gold and copper mining project here.

Voting 6-4 with two abstentions, the council rejected the bid of the Australian-funded Climax Arimco Mining Corp. (CAMC) for an endorsement of its project in the mountainous village of Didipio.

The move is seen as strengthening the efforts of local anti-mining advocates led by the Catholic Church to block the entry of any form of large-scale mining in this mineral-rich province.

Before ruling on the highly divisive issue, the Kasibu councilors closeted themselves inside the session hall for almost the entire Monday, deliberating the fate of the CAMC mining venture, while pro-mining villagers picketed the municipal hall in a last-ditch effort to convince them to endorse the project.

For their part, the anti-mining group, led by Pastor Bugtong of the Tribal Community for Rural Development, gathered near the session hall on the town hall’s second floor.

"We are now old and if they will not endorse the project, when will we see development from them (municipal council)," said 68-year-old Allaga Ad-adina of Barangay Didipio, expressing support for the CAMC project.

"You’re depriving (us of) our good future. The Lord provided us gold in Didipio. Please give our village a chance for development for everybody’s benefit," added Alfredo Dumingyay Jr., chairman of the town’s Sangguniang Kabataan.

Dominated by indigenous tribes, Didipio, located in the remote mountain boundary of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, is about four hours from the capital town of Bayombong through a rugged and slippery road which is occasionally closed during the rainy season.

Didipio’s Dinkidi Hill, the hub of the proposed CAMC project, is believed to have gold and copper deposits worth at least P30 billion, which are to be mined for 15 years if the project pushes through.

The anti-mining groups claimed that majority of Kasibu villagers are against any form of large-scale mining in their community.

Sister Eden Orlino, administrator of the Catholic Church’s Social Action Commission here, said 25 of Kasibu’s 30 barangays have passed resolutions against any large-scale mining project.

However, Didipio councilman Henry Guay said it should only be their barangay council which should determine the fate of the CAMC venture.

To seek approval for its full operation, 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).

With the Kasibu council’s rejection, the CAMC now has to obtain the endorsement of the provincial board. Earlier, Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, who presides over the board, and majority of the provincial board members expressed support for the project.

Earlier, engineer Arnel Arrojo, CAMC project manager, said they have secured the endorsement of the Didipio communities.

The CAMC venture was stalled in 2001 when then Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez suspended its environment compliance certificate in the wake of the Church-led opposition.