‘Vizcaya caves not affected by mining operation’

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – The famous multi-chambered caves here, classified recently as one of the most fragile caves system, will not be affected by a mining project by an Australian firm, an official said. 

Brennan Lang, operations chief of the Didipio gold-copper project, said the Capissaan caves in Kasibu town are far from the mining site and safe from any possible des-truction. 

Lang said their company is even helping promote the caves by building roads to and from the area.

The Didipio project along the Nueva Vizcaya-Quirino mountain border is set for full commercial operation next year following nearly two decades of exploration and construction activities.

OceanaGold Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of the Melbourne-based OceanaGold Co., is involved in the project.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has classified the Capissaan caves as Class I for its ”delicate and fragile geological formations, threatened species, archaelogical anf paleontological values and extremely hazardous condition.”