Army: No threats to mining projects in Vizcaya

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – The two foreign-operated, large-scale mining projects in this province are safe from attacks by any armed group, including the New People’s Army (NPA), the military said yesterday.

The Army gave the assurance in the wake of last Monday’s violent attacks on three mining projects, including the Taganito Mines, where various equipment worth millions of pesos were burned by communist rebels in Surigao del Norte.

Col. Miguel Puyao, spokesman of the Army’s Isabela-based 5th Infantry Division, said there is no need to be concerned about the security of mining projects in Cagayan Valley, including the two foreign-contracted, large-scale mining ventures here.

Puyao also downplayed the possible beefing up of their forces in these national government-designated mining areas, whose security are being handled by police elements.

“We have not monitored any (NPA) movement similar to what they have done in Mindanao. We thus believe that they have no similar plans to raid mining firms here,” Puyao said. 

This mineral-rich province is host to the Australian-owned OceanaGold Philippines’ Didipio gold-copper project in Kasibu town, and the British-run FCF Minerals’ Runruno gold-molybdenum project in Quezon town.

The Didipio project, nestled along the remote mountain border of this province and Quirino, is the first large-scale mining project approved under the 1995 Mining Act.

Both the Didipio and Runruno multibillion-peso projects, which are employing hundreds of local residents, are scheduled for full commercial operation by 2013 following years of exploration activities.

There are other exploration ventures in various parts of the province, including the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-approved Yabbi exploration project of another Australian firm, Royalco Philippines, in Dupax del Norte town.