Bulacan miners want jobs back, not wage hike

DOñA REMEDIOS TRI­NIDAD, Bulacan – Mining workers in this mountain town demanded their work back instead of the P5 wage hike which was recently approved for Central Luzon. Aside from that, the workers pleaded not to Labor officials but to Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza on Thursday for them to go back to work.

This came after the operations of the Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp. ceased on April 12 when armed men led by retired Army General Jovito Palparan entered the 442-hectare iron ore mining site at Barangay Camachin here.

Palparan’s alleged takeover was preceded by the mining company’s cancellation of the ore transport permit, and was followed by the relief of a Mines and Geosciences Bureau official in Central Luzon that issued the OTP.

Danny Ong, the spokesman and project coordinator of Ore Asia told The STAR that their operations came to a screeching halt since April 12. He said the cessation of their operations is not only costing the company millions on investments, but leaving more than 1,000 workers hungry and possibly not able to send their children to school this school year.

Ong said they used to employ at least 70 truck drivers with three helpers each earning P500 a day, plus more than 700 diggers who were paid P300 per day.  – Dino Balabo