TVI gets Subanon tribe okay for Balabag gold-silver project

MANILA, Philippines - TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) has obtained the consent of the Subanon tribe for the development of ancestral domain areas of its Balabag gold-silver project in Zamboanga del Sur.

In a statement, the local arm of Canadian miner TVI Pacific Inc.,  said  the tribe’s leaders have signed a memorandum of agreement with the company on Aug. 19 for the granting of a Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) after consultations conducted with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

The Balabag gold-silver project , which covers a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) area of 4, 779 hectares,  is under the pre-development stage. Some parts of the tenement cover ancestral domain.

An Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC), meanwhile,  has already been issued for the project.  

TVIRD closed last year the open-pit operations in its Canatuan copper-zinc mine in Zamboanga del Norte.

Other than the Balabag gold-silver project, TVIRD would also be developing the high-grade iron resources at the Agata Project in Agusan del Norte with Mindoro Resources Ltd.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has issued to the companies in May the Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility (DMPF) for the project, giving the proponents clearance to develop the tenement.

The DMPF is a document containing an assessment on the commercial viability of deposits and is the final step to commencement of operations. Its also confirms that a project has complied with other mining regulatory requirements.

Receipt of the DMPF authorizes TVIRD and Mindoro to extract and sell iron, nickel and other minerals mined in the contract area.