Canadian miner unit looks to expand Zambo del Norte project

Following their recent court victory against the open pit mining ban in Zamboanga del Norte province, the Philippine unit of Canadian mining firm TVI Pacific Inc. on Wednesday said it is poised to explore a new site near its current copper-zinc project in Sitio Canatuan in Siocon town.   TVI officials said the goal is to extend the life of the Canatuan project, which given current conditions will last two more years.   TVI Resource Phils. Inc. spokesman Ronaldo Jabal Jr. said the new exploration mission was hastened by the Certificate of Precondition (CP) for getting the free prior informed consent (FPIC) of the Subanon indigenous community in Canatuan given by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).   "The NCIP certifies that we have the support of the indigenous groups. This paves the way for new exploration in the province," Jabal said.   The consent of the local tribe is a requirement for the Mineral and Production Sharing Agreement covering the Canatuan area.   TVI Resource vice president for social commitment Rene Subido said they have complied with the requirements of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act including the mandated consultations and community assemblies with the facilitation of NCIP.   NCIP director Atty. Jonathan Adaci confirmed to GMA News Online that they had recently issued the CP to TVI Resource. He explained that the CP attests that TVI Resource consulted with and secured the consent of the concerned tribe.   Adaci also said the tribe should benefit from the mining operations through royalties of at least 1 percent of the production. He said the royalties could be more than 1 percent depending on negotiations with the tribe.   The director of the NCIP Ancestral Domains Office said that TVI Resource has been a compliant corporate citizen in Zamboanga.   Subido said TVI Resource has given college scholarship grants to 55 students, of which some 21 have graduated and some were employed by the firm. He also said TVI Resource built six school buildings in Siocon, including one in Barangay Canatuan.   "We built farm to market roads not only for Canatuan farmers but also for other barangays of the municipality. We spend P19-million annually to maintain the roads that link Siocon to the rest of the towns and key cities of Zamboanga Peninsula. Moreover, we have already planted more than 240,000 trees as part our reforestation and revegetation programs ” Subido added. —  VS, GMA News