Indigenous tribes to receive P25-M aid from NZ mining firm

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — A giant multinational mining company has pledged Saturday an additional P250,000 monthly to the residents of an indigenous-peopled village here for the social development of the community to uplift their lives and improve their economic welfare.

This, according to Chito Gozar, assistant director for communications and internal affairs of the Australasian-Philippines Mining Inc., was part of a reiteration of commitment by the Australian-New Zealander firm Oceania Gold Ltd., APMI’s parent company, to the residents of Didipio in Kasibu town here where they are operating the Didipio Gold-Copper Project.

The financial commitment, along with other development and social-related undertakings, including educational and livelihood benefits, were made through a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) by the firm with village officials and the government.

The MOA signing came in the wake of the takeover by the said foreign mining firm of Climax Mining Ltd., APMI’s former parent firm, which is directly implementing the multibillion-peso Didipio project.

The formal merging of the two mining giants took place in Manila over the weekend in the presence of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Angelo Reyes.

"We wish to reiterate our support for the people of Didipio who had previously extended their welcome as home to our mining operations. These are parts of our obligations not only to uplift the people of Didipio in terms of finances but more so in their social development," Gozar said.

Also on hand to witness the signing of the MOA by representatives of Oceania and the Barangay Council of Didipio were Vice Gov. Jose Gambito, representing the provincial government, Commissioner Corazon Espino of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and engineer Jerrysal Mangaoang, regional director of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Moreover, Espino said that she was delighted by the show of concern of a foreign mining firm for the plight of the indigenous communities in contradiction to the common perception of lack of concern by such entities.