TVI

Realizing dreams through TVIRD

By Mary Guadiosa Simbawan
Lead Person of the Reforestation Crew of Environment Department
A Subanon mother of three.
Proud to have sent her children to school through the help of TVIRD

Finishing school was one of my greatest dreams. But poverty got in the way. I felt hopeless that it would never happen, even for my children. However, our lives improved for the better when TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. came. The company fulfilled many of my dreams including education for my children and employment for me.

Mary is a nursery lead person of the Reforestation Crew of Environment Department

My husband was the first one to be employed by TVIRD in February 2002. However, he passed away a few months later. I thought the world was crumbling until TVIRD rescued us by giving me an opportunity to work for the company as well. On May 30, with the help of Engr. Nercuit, the current Civil Engineering Services (CES) Manager of TVIRD, I got hired.

Together with the Environment team, Mary, (left) and Ms. Nilda Callora, (right) Environment Manager, are proud to have contributed in planting more than 250,000 tree seedlings since the beginning of mining operations. It is more than 5 times the number of trees that existed within the permit area prior to TVIRD operations.

(left) The new school building built at Canatuan. (right) School children enjoy the netbooks, one of the benefits provided by TVIRD to its host community.

I started working in the Administration department where I worked in the kitchen. Later, I was moved to the Environment department. Eventually I became a nursery lead person of the Reforestation Crew.

In the Environment department I conduct my work with a lot of TLC - tender loving care - which is the same way I take care of my children. At present, I manage the plant nursery and conduct sorting and transplanting of seedlings. I also make sure that my team responsibly performs every task assigned to us.

TVIRD has helped my family in a lot of ways. I have a well-paying job and I was able to send my three children to school—an opportunity that I did not have in my younger years. My eldest son, Jefril, is a college scholar of the company. And this is really a big thing for me since I only reached third grade in elementary. My dream of finishing my studies came true through my children. I tear up just seeing my children finish school.

(left) Matet, 13, and (right) Jefril, 19, both are going to school. “My dream of finishing my studies came true through my children.,” Mary says.

I have deep gratitude to TVIRD, especially to Sir Yulo Perez, Engr Ed Nercuit, and Ma’am Lullie Micabalo. Only in TVIRD that I was able to express my thoughts and aspirations not only for myself but most especially for my children. I am very grateful. This company has brought back the hope that I had lost a long time ago. I pray that the company can touch more lives and be allowed to continue operating for many years.

(from left) Engr. Ed Nercuit, CES Manager; Ms Lullie Micabalo, Public Affairs Manager; and Engr. Yulo Perez, COO/VP for Operations.

former Ambassador to Germany and Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert meets Mary during the Ambassador’s visit to TVIRD’s Canatuan mine

Mary Guadiosa Simbawan
Lead Person of the Reforestation Crew of Environment Department

Minding Canatuan: musings and experiences

By Reynaldo C. Romero

When I first came to Canatuan during my site visit, it was like revisiting the place where I was born. Philex Mines was my birthplace and my home for 25 years. Back then, the mountains were my playground, the rivers were our swimming pool. There were no buildings, no cinemas - life was simple and uncomplicated. It was the same feeling I had when I first saw Canatuan. I did not find it hard to appreciate the serene surrounding and simple lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Despite the distance from my family, I really felt at home.

Canatuan’s Sulphide Tailings Dam. Rey Romero’s visiting the mine site for the first time was like revisiting his birthplace and home for 25 years in Philex Mining, Baguio City. Despite the distance from his family, he felt at home.

(top photo, right) Before joining TVIRD, Rey worked oversees and was involved in the Palm Jumeirah Project in Dubai., and (bottom photo, far left) in Salam Yiti Project in Oman.

Although I am relatively new in the company, I can truly appreciate the efforts that TVI has done and continues to undertake to protect the environment in Canatuan. And what really caught my attention are the fish in the spillway coming from the Sulphide Dam. It seems unbelievable but this is really true - fish live in the spillway. I sometimes chuckle at the reaction of mine site visitors everytime they see fish there. Because, like them, I was also surprised at the beginning. Fully knowing now how TVI treats environment as a serious business, schools of fish in a spillway coming from a Suplhide Dam is no longer a surprising phenomenon but a fact.

I am also particularly proud of the company’s “nursery” because it contains a variety of plants and trees. TVI’s Environmental team really did a very good job propagating those trees around Canatuan. Being with TVI is indeed a blessing and I am always happy to share the blessing to others. That is why everytime there are outreach programs like medical missions, I, time permitting, join the Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO).

During these outreach activites, I get to know more about TVI - its livelihood projects in the communities and much-appreciated scholarship program.

“I truly appreciate the efforts that TVI is undertaking to protect its surroundings. Its environmental rehabilitation activities are carried out progressively. And what really caught my attention were the fish in the spillway coming from the Sulphide Dam.”

I also learned that mining, agriculture and nature can co-exist when mining is done responsibly. With community support, I believe TVI has done a very good job in balancing company and community interests towards the protection of the environment, preservation of IP culture and tradition, and sustainable socio-economic programs.

Canatuan at its cloud-kissed view; away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Reaching out. Rey, through the community development projects of Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), shares his time and resources to the host and impact barangays. “Regardless of the differences in their race and beliefs, the IPs, tribes and locals did a remarkable job in preserving their environment and maintaining the balance of the ecosystem around them.”

Human relations and touching lives. After a whole day’s part of gifts-giving to the communities during Christmas Cheers, an annual commitment of TVIRD to its neighbouring barangays, Rey shares a light moment with his Human Relations and Administration (HRAD) team.

It is just sad that mining is being treated negatively. Maybe they view mining differently because they are looking at it from the outside and from the lenses of what they read and hear about. If only they can experience the benefits of mining, I am sure their views will change and embrace mining like we all do. My wife and I are both products of mining and we embrace it because we know what it is like to live in mining communities. As one television advertisement says, there is really life in mining.

Blog of Reynaldo C. Romero, HR Superintendent TVIRD Canatuan

�Ma, I am a BIG girl now�

You used to tell me that the world is just at my fingertips. You used to tell me that nowadays, everything is reachable with just a click, a push, a touch. You used to tell me that we can make a difference in our own little ways, that you believe in me. I believed in you. Here I am now facing the world as I must.

When I received my diploma last March, you were there, of course, the most important, doting person in my life, in your best clothes, your hair fixed the best way you thought it should be for the occasion, and your face wearing your happiest and most affectionate smile. Once in a while, I’d glance at you to make sure you remained comfortable where you were seated. And as I looked at you, memories of the many sacrifices and academic pressures I had gone through flashed in my mind and I thought I could not have overcome all of them without you.

(Top) Canatuan, the land of endless possibilities and opportunities. (Middle) Though literally mountains and seas away from home, Rianne Marie finds fulfilment in the beauty of nature in Canatuan, the native land of the Subanon indigenous people of Zamboanga Peninsula. (Bottom) Rianne, on board on a hydraulic excavator, a usual fixture at the minesite.

Even after graduation day, I continued to struggle with my uncertainties: Where would my life’s journey lead? What would I become? Who should I believe in the “outside world”? I had imagined myself in the queue with a multitude offresh graduates for a one-in-thousand-chance at employment. Fortunately, I was spared the trouble. A few days later, I received a call from one of the companies to which I had submitted my resumé two months before graduation. After an interview, I got hired a month later.

You used to remind me to give my best, to look my best and feel my best. That counsel of yours has never failed me, you never failed me. And now that I am away from home—literally mountains and seas apart—there are certain things I wish to tell you.

I want to assure you there is really nothing to worry about. I was hired by TVI Resources Development (Phils.) Inc. as a project officer at its Canatuan mining site because they saw in me the independence, the determination and the skills they wanted, and the spirit to learn more about life, the world and anything beyond imagination. The challenges I encountered during my academic and teenage years had prepared me for this life. I want to tell you that I have complete meals every day-from entrée soup to main dish to desserts. You do not have to worry about me not liking vegetables or “tinolang manok,” the chefs here (yes we have chefs!) exactly know where and how to cater to the taste buds of the employees. I also get free ice cream from generous officemates during payday.

(Left) From entrée soup to main dish to desserts, the chefs in TVIRD Hilltop Restaurant exactly know where and how to cater to the taste buds of its employees. (Right) Touring around the Sulphide Tailings Facility with the Public Affairs (PA) team—from left, Rianne, Joseph Arnel Deliverio, Ron Jabal, PA Director, and Lullie Micabalo, PA Manager.

I wish you would not worry too much about my health. Yes, I have been to the company clinic three times already, but my asthma attacks are controllable. I always have with me my inhalers and maintenance medicine and vitamins. And I do less strenuous activities here, though at times, I really wish to climb the mountains.

I wish you’d sleep soundly at night without getting worried about bedbugs or mosquitoes biting me. The dormitory rooms here are safe and sound, and my windows have screens. My electric fan is working. I even have “glow-in-the-darks.” I go to bed early, and I rise before the sun does. My laundry is washed every other day, and I have enough clothes for the six-week-field-work-and-two-week-break regimen.

(Left) The senior staff house, one of the housing facilities of the company for its employees. (Right) The company clinic caters to the medical needs both of its employees and the host community.

I wish to tell you that I am, modesty aside, doing fine with my six-month project here. Each day opens a new world for me. I get to meet and interact with the Subanon indigenous people here as a result of my work with the Public Affairs team. I have come to realize how blessed I am to have finished my schooling, to be able to eat three square meals a day, to have clothes on my back and a roof over my head. I owe these all to you. I want to tell you that no matter how much you want to shield me from the world’s harsh realities, I’ve got to face them on my own now. Yes, there are times I’d get disheartened seeing the plight of the people here and wish to go home, but I have to stay strong, accept the realities and be flexible so that I can do my part in making a difference here.

(Top) Meeting and interacting with the Subanon host community for her current project, the Subanon History and Traditions Book. (Middle) Cameras, light, action! The PA team in their usual productions around the minesite. (Bottom) Getting accustomed with the culture of the Subanons, Rianne tries her best to dance the Subanon dancesteps.

The local folks around here have a lot of moving stories to tell, and there are times when I get deeply emotionally affected by them. But one thing these stories have clearly shown me: there will always be ways to get through any “rain.” Their lifestyle here is sometimes hard, but they are not without priceless treasures—close family ties, strong faith in God, hardworking hands, to name a few. I have learned that simplicity in life is still a key to genuine happiness.

Simplicity in life is still a key to genuine happiness. (Top) The Subanons’ history revisited with Timuoy Jose ‘Boy’ Anoy, the tribal chieftain of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. (Middle) Annabelle Combi, (in green) President of the Siocon Subanon Women’s Association, Inc. (SSWAI) incessantly shares experiences and stories about Subanons with Rianne. (Bottom) A Gumpiya ritual is being performed in order to formally ask permission from the Subanons’ ancestors for the making of the book.

I wish I could tell you that you have done enough for me already, that I have grown into the lady you wanted me to become, that your love and care greatly helped to make me what I am and bring me to where I am now, that your sacrifices for me are eternally appreciated. Like you said, the world is at my fingertips and I believe because you taught me to believe in the impossible. I may never be the same again, but I will always be close to you and you will be forever in my heart.

Ma, I am BIG girl now.

This time, let me be the one to tell you that it is time for you to enjoy life—smell the flowers, count the stars.

It is my turn to take care of you. I may be a grown-up person now, but you are still—and will forever be—my best friend, my closest and most dependable confidante, my inspiration, my mother.

“I may be a grown-up person now, but you are still—and will forever be—my best friend, my closest and most dependable confidante, my inspiration, my mother.” (bottom) With Papa Toto, Mama Girlie, and younger brother Ryan.

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Rianne Marie P. Miranda, 21, is a project officer at TVI Resource Development (Phil.) Inc. (TVIRD). From Dipolog City, she finished her BS Mass Communication, cum laude, at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. Prior to her work in Public Affairs of TVIRD, she was a trainee in ABS-CBN and Manila Times and wrote a column for the Mindanao Observer, a local paper circulating in the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan, and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The Doc takes a different shot

By Dr. Jason dela Cruz, TVIRD Canatuan Physician

When the Public Affairs Department of TVIRD invited me to join its Advance Photography and Post-Processing Workshop, I immediately signed up. I have always been interested in photography, not only because I like to document interesting scenes, people, places and events, but also, I thought, being professionally trained to take good photos is a handy skill to have. Moreover, this was an opportunity that is not often provided to employees in other firms; hence when the workshop was offered, we all said yes.

During the workshop, we were taught that photography forces you to always look at different points of view - to see a mundane scene in a unique and interesting way.

Some of Dr Jason’s photos (left) children of TVIRD employees and community strolling along the well-maintained roads of Agolo and (right) students of Canatuan National High School all smiles as the camera flashes.

For some, their interest is in showcasing the greenest surrounding in contrast with the majestic blue sky of the Malusok horizon. For others, they focus on the dewdrops made by the almost daily foggy mornings in front of the Senior Staff House.

Oftentimes as we go through our daily grind, we forget about the many interesting shades that make our lives infinitely colorful. Photography makes us see the colors of life. It makes us appreciate the beauty around us. It makes us enjoy life in Canatuan.

(top, in white shirt) Dr. Jason dela Cruz gets the best angle of his model. (middle) “The Photoshop works like magic.” It lets Dr. Jason creatively designs and enhances his masterpiece. (bottom) A sample of product photography shows a model carrying a bag.

Much has been said about life and pictures` obvious parallelism. It’s really all in the details - be it in life or in pictures. However, unlike in pictures, life has no post-processing. You can’t adjust the brightness of your moods or erase the blemish on your reputation. While we have Photoshop for retouches, we don’t have a “Lifeshop

During the workshop, we learned that there are rules to guide us if we want to make a decent picture. The composition and/or the elements dictate the mood - like the words to a story. That is why it is important to master the art of photography to enable us to weave a good story.

(right) Chef Ember Impang showcases his culinary delights. Inset photos are tasteful shots of culinary creations.

After the workshop, a photo exhibit in the Malusok Clubhouse was mounted to show our piece de resistance. The feedback was encouraging and judging from the output of my fellow workshop participants, the training was a success.

(top) Literratto Photo Xhbt showcases the best shots of the Advanced Photography and Post-Processing Workshop participants. (middle) Each participant presents his best works through a slideshow. (bottom) TVIRD staff takes a tour around the exhibit.

I have a feeling that we all got more than what the syllabus offered. We may also have gained a different perspective of Canatuan as well - if anything, this alone makes it all worthwhile.

I am really glad and thankful this opportunity came our way.

(top) The Public Affairs team spearheads the Photography and Post-Processing Workshop. Rhandolf Sindo (right, in blue polo) one of the lecturers, shares his expertise on post-processing. (middle) The participants of the training. (bottom) After the two-day training, the participants share a light moment with the trainer, Aleksi Gumela (bottom, in blue with a cap).

Dr. Jason dela Cruz is a TVIRD Canatuan doctor. He joined TVIRD in December 2010. He finished his medical degree at Fatima College of Medicine in 2002.

Besides medical duties, he is also a part-time contributor to Manila Bulletin’s I-section. He enjoys events management and fashion photography. More than majestic blue sky of the Malusok horizon and the daily foggy mornings in front of the Senior Staff House, he accepted the job also because of the warm reception of the whole community.

Dr. Jason, together with other participants from the different departments, recently attended the two-day Advanced Photography and Post-Processing Workshop held in Canatuan. The training was conducted by the Dipolog Design Center and sponsored by the Public Affairs Department.

Canatuan in my mind

By Eduardo dela Cerna, Publisher and Editor of ‘Tingog Peninsula’

“I’m seeing a different world,” I said to myself as our vehicle began to ascend the all-weather access road from the Municipality of RT Lim, in Sibugay Province towards the mine site of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) at Sitio Canatuan in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. The Zamboanga del Norte Press Club Mine tour at the TVIRD Canatuan mine site was actually a side trip on July 8 that became an integral part of our annual Campus Journalism Seminar scheduled in Siocon the following day.

Seeing the area after more than a decade, I thought that indeed, time had changed almost everything here compared with what I can recall about the area. As we approached the mine site, I saw that things have changed a great deal for the better.

The picture in my head was the old TVIRD mine facility that I visited way back in 2001 when the company was still struggling to operate. The Canatuan air was filled with the noise of rod mills of illegal small-scale miners, many with weariness written on their faces. The small miners’ wives tended to their shanties while their children, if not inside the narrow mine shafts and tunnels and carrying sacks of rocks, were playing on the dirt road. That pitiful scene will forever be etched in my memory. But I’m glad it’s just that now – a memory.

Today, Canatuan has been transformed into a bustling mountain community with a much-improved quality of life.

The company Clubhouse where we disembarked to attend the safety orientation and secure the safety gear for our mine tour reminded me of my old days at another mining firm in Cebu, where we also considered safety as a priority. Hard hats and reflectorized vests are a must-wear safety gear in TVIRD’s Canatuan mine facility. Everybody must adhere to the strictest safety rules and regulations .

The tour became even more interesting with TVIRD Canatuan Mine Manager Pete Remoto joining us as our technical tour guide, explaining to us and a few other mine and environment hard knocks, the fine points of an open pit mining operation, including how production targets can be achieved with utmost concern for the safety of the employees.

One area where we spent perhaps an hour at was the Sulphide tailings impoundment dam. It was an awesome sight for us visitors. The massiveness of the dam and the volume of water and mine tailings it can contain, amazed us, especially the first timers in the site.

We were likewise pleasantly surprised when we were brought to their mine waste dump demo farm. Planted in the waste dump is a common variety of rice. The lady nursery in-charge told us that Mines and Geoscience Bureau Region 9 Director Albert Jacildo was with the group that harvested the previous cropping. The nearby nursery area is TVIRD’s source of seedlings for the government required tree planting and reforestation program to make and convert the mined out areas into an environmentally sound habitat for various birds and animal species. Over time what used to be a mine waste land is gradually be transformed into a productive farm area where vegetables and crops can grow to provide food and additional livelihood opportunities for the Subanon indigenous people live in the area.

TVIRD has a medical clinic manned by professional personnel who, despite being in a remote mountain village, manage to deliver proper medical services to residents of Canatuan and adjacent communities from Siocon 20 kilometers to the west and RT Lim 50 kilometers to the east. In an accident or a major health-related ailment, emergency medical treatment can be administered to a patient before his or her long trip to a city hospital may spell the difference between life and death. This clinic has saved many lives.

The residents are fortunate that the company has provided them the means to be able to stand on their own through projects that seek to advance sustainability beyond the life of mine. These projects are in the areas of livelihood development, education, skills training, health and sanitation. They also have the royalty payments from TVIRD that they can use for sustainable development initiatives that they will be charting through their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan, which, not surprisingly, TVIRD is also assisting them with putting together.

Our Canatuan mine tour was an enlightening experience. Truly, Canatuan is a different place now. And I’m glad it is.

Eduardo “Ed” dela Cerna – or “Rockbreaker to friends – is a licensed mining engineer. He is publisher and editor of Tingog Peninsula, a newsweekly circulating in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and the cities of Dipolog, Dapitan and Pagadian.

A different kind of sales job

By Lullie Micabalo, TVIRD Canatuan Public Affairs Manager

Juan Randis is a tribal leader of the Subanons, the indigenous peoples (IP) of the Zamboanga Peninsula in Southern Philippines. The man’s demeanor mirrors the hardships that people, especially the lumads (IPs), have to endure in poverty-stricken rural villages in the Peninsula. Despite having lived a difficult life, however, Manong (elder male) Juan possesses traits that endear him even to strangers – he is honest and a free thinker.

In Balubo village where he was born and raised, Manong Juan is among the lumads in Roxas town of Zamboanga del Norte (one of the three provinces that comprise the Peninsula), who understand the importance of mining and the benefits that it could bring to impoverished communities without sacrificing the environment. His deep understanding of mining is extraordinary considering the strong campaigning by some sectors against the industry.

“You do not have to explain to me why we need mining,” he says smiling. “My son-in-law works with the government’s Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) which operates a coal mine in one of the towns of Zamboanga Sibugay. From him, I learned why we should mine our mineral resources.”

I came to know of Manong Juan through Benjie Macalisang and Victor Jomola, both members of the TVIRD team who were assigned as “advance party” for our information and education campaign in Manong Juan’s home village of Balubo. The two recommended Manong Juan to serve as our cook during the length of our stay in Balubo.

Our group is one of the teams assigned by TVIRD to conduct an education campaign among the Subanon Cultural Communities in different villages of northern Zamboanga del Norte to secure their consent on the company’s plan to conduct mineral exploration activities in their areas. The villages are part of TVIRD’s North Zamboanga Tenements consisting of the municipalities of Manukan, Roxas, Katipunan, Sergio Osmena, and Jose Dalman. Our group is assigned to Roxas town covering 14 barangays.

The teams of Mario Abastar and Nasser Antao, both from TVIRD’s Community Relations and Development Office (CReDO), are focused on Sergio Osmena-Katipunan, and Manukan-Jose Dalman, respectively, while Goody Bartolo of the company’s Permitting Department looks after our needs and prepares the documents for submission to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

“Getting the services of Manong Juan is one way of letting the villagers know that local employment is one of the benefits that mining can bring to communities,” Benjie tells Victor, a new employee of the company.

“Okay kaayo ko nga magluto ninyo. Mokita na ko makakita pa kog bag-ong mga higala (I am very much willing to cook for you. Besides earning, I will also meet new friends.”),” Manong Juan says.

While preparing our dinner, Manong Juan shared his thoughts on mining and development. His insights were informative and helpful on the task we are doing in his village, which depends primarily on coconut farming. Although the village was founded in the 1950s, Balubo residents have yet to see development in their area. Barangay Captain (village chief) Nenito Corrigidor-Bataan is hoping that their village will soon have electricity before the year ends.

Like in other remote villages of Roxas and other towns of the province, the road to Balubo is bad. Habal-habals (motorcycles) are the prime means of transportation and which the villagers rely on to transport copra, their main agricultural product, to the Roxas town center.

“I wish you could start exploration soon,” Manong Juan adds. “I am sure my fellow villagers will be happy to host it. I am also sure they will understand the industry once they will be informed of the benefits they will enjoy and the environmental programs you’ll undertake. If you look around, everybody is depending so much on coconut farming. You know the copra industry, the prices are not stable.”

Another Subanon tribal leader, Marcos Balawag, who is also a former village chief of Panampalay, Roxas town’s farthest village, shares Manong Juan’s dream. Balawag’s place is located some 23 kilometers from the town center and the poor condition of the area is very much the same as Balubo. What further contributes to the depressing situation is the very bad condition of the roads which has further reduced the income of its residents. Copra buyers deduct P3 to P4 per kilo of the farmers’ copra because of the high cost of transporting this produce.

“If a kilo of copra is P48 at the poblacion (town center), buyers purchase the copra at P45 or P44 a kilo from us,” the former village chair said. “That’s how the road condition has been robbing us of our income for so many years.”

Our group also experienced terrible road conditions as we rode the habal-habal that brought us to Panampalay. Everybody in the team suffered back aches as we traversed the slippery road. There were times that we had to walk to avoid road accidents. But no one was complaining, even if we slept on top of tables or the cold floor of the Multi-Purpose Hall that Barangay Captain Sammy Ganduyo graciously offered to us as our sleeping quarters.

The hall accommodated all of us, along with the team from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). Marife Alagono, NCIP Paralegal officer, and Community Affairs Officer Pedro Gumalal are spearheading the conduct of the community consultative assemblies, while we educate the people on the basics of the mining industry as part of the process of securing the tribe’s Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), a requirement of the Mining Act before companies are given permits to explore.

Panampalay was its best when we set foot on the village. Enveloped by cold mist that seems to kiss the white clouds in the sky, it is so peaceful like its amiable residents. The place, however, is wanting of development, so much like Manong Juan’s Balubo. I know out there in the other villages of northern Zamboanga del Norte there are many Manong Juans who wants responsible mining to happen in their own village, if only for the sake of their children’s future.

�Every once in a while��

by John Ridsdel, TVIRD Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Every once in a while, you get to do something in your job that is really important, and really meaningful.

There was such a moment, this year, when little 5-year old Kia Mae Dandana came to TVI’s attention. Kia Mae is a Subanon pre-schooler in the mountainous, ancestral domain where our company has the privilege to operate a mine. She was suffering from a severe squint condition (so-called "cross-eyes"), which, if untreated, would cause her to lose the sight of one eye — and she would never be able to live a normal life.

But it’s amazing what a role serendipity so often plays, in these cases. (Please see related story here)

Kia Mae with mom, Margarita, 10 days after the little girl’s operation.

It just so happens that every once in a while I go on Facebook, where a number of our team are brave enough to have me on their list of Friends. I have to say, it’s very cool, how obviously proud they are to upload stories and photos about their accomplishments for the company and their activities with the mine and the communities.

And it also just so happens that my father was an eye surgeon, who was passionate about the hundreds of thousands of children around the world, with squints, whose lives are ruined because they don’t have access to, or can’t afford, a simple medical procedure, early enough in their lives, that would fix it. Prior to the introduction of Medicare in Canada, whenever he came across such a case he would unhesitatingly do the surgery for free. And then come home and lecture me and my sister how important it is to identify the condition, and to act.

So when I saw the photo of Kia Mae on Facebook — as we relate in today’s “e-cast” story — I immediately contacted our Community Relations and Development Superintendent at Canatuan, Joel Alasco, and asked him to find Kia Mae and make sure she gets drawn into our program of medical care for our community.

Joel and the Clinic team under Doc Uly Silorio did the rest. As we describe in our story, they and all the Canatuan team under the direction of General Manager Ely Valmores did a great job in finding the right treatment for Kia Mae and moving heaven and earth so she could get the surgery she needed.

So … Every once in a while …

To my dear departed Dad who cared so much: this one’s for you.

Talent + Patience + Resilience x Faith = Success

By Romeo “Toto” Maude, TVIRD Safety Inspector

I can’t believe it when I first set foot on Baguio City in November last year. I never thought I will be able to visit one of the country’ most famous tourist destinations at the opposite north end from where I was born and raised -- the Zamboanga Peninsula in Southern Philippines. It wasn’t because I did not like to go there, but simply because I really couldn’t afford it. Seeing personally the City of Pines amazed me. The cool climate and the sights of the country’s summer capital were quite fascinating. I was overwhelmed by what I saw! I was euphoric as I remembered how I, a former small-scale miner, struggled my way to become one of the vanguards of workers’ safety in the company for which I am now working. To top it all, I was about to receive an award as one of the best Safety Inspectors from the mining industry.

I will also cherish the thought that my supervisor, Art Abad, the Safety Department Manager of TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc.’s (TVIRD) Canatuan Mine and a native of Baguio, so kindly volunteered to be my driver and photographer as we toured around and relished in awe the wonders of that city. I felt so special and blessed that day.

When I received my award later from Mines and Geosciences Bureau Director Leo Jasareno and Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) President Louie Sarmiento at the Camp John Hay Trade and Cultural Center, I held my trophy tight. Silently, I thanked God for helping me make the right decision of leaving my hazardous job as an abantero -- finder and digger of tunneling routes in small-scale mining – 13 years ago.

Life indeed is full of ironies. Who would have thought that a high school graduate would end up as a government-accredited safety inspector? Who would have thought that a former small-scale miner -- a job that has very little regard for life, limb and environment -- would end up as a safety inspector in a company that advocates and practices responsible mining?

I am very grateful to my supervisor who gave me a good “break” by assigning me as part of the department’s Safety Inspection team. Most of all, I am very thankful to my employer, TVIRD. Had I not been given the opportunity to work in this company, I would not have come this far.

Before my joining TVIRD, life was difficult. In 1990, just after my high school graduation, my family fell into hard times when the logging company my father used to work for as a supervisor shut down its operations. Thinking that it would now be difficult for my parents to feed and send me and my other eight siblings to school, I decided to make it on my own. I was afraid I would become a bum all my life. Since job is scarce in our country, I decided to work as an abantero of a small-scale mining operator in our place in Malubal, RT Lim, Sibugay Province and later on in Canatuan, the haven of small-scale miners in these parts in the late ‘90s.

As an abantero, I was the front liner in the tunnels where, using just a crowbar and a shovel, I took out the ores that contain gold and silver. I did not care then whether or not the job was risky, or whether the mercury we used to extract the precious metals from the rocks would harm the nearby creeks, streams and rivers.

All I cared about was to hear our gold processor and buyer shout “Carga Uno!” That only meant the ores we found yielded high-grade gold!

However, the more I earned, the more I realized that my job was taking a toll on my health. Exposure to cyanide and mercury in my daily activities was just too much for my frail body to take. I decided to quit and went to work as a security guard in a bank in Pagadian City in neighboring Zamboanga del Sur province.

By some stroke of luck, I returned to Canatuan after a couple of years in Pagadian. The agency I worked for was contracted to provide security services to a large-scale mining company that took over the operations of the small-scale mining regime in the area, TVIRD!

In the few months I worked as blue guard (called “blue” because of the color of the uniform we wore), I observed how the company takes good care of its employees. It provides them with a decent housing facility and a competitive salary and benefits package that my employer then didn’t give its workers. I was also impressed by how the company safeguards the health and safety of its workers. It was then that I realized how wrong it was to engage in illegal small-scale mining. With legitimate mining, safety, health and environment protection are top priorities, which cannot be said of small-scale mining. TVIRD also looks after the welfare of people in the host community and even in the surrounding villages.

Just when I was enjoying my job as TVIRD’s blue guard, bad luck struck again: our agency’s contract with the company was terminated. So I ran to my parents, who have since transferred to Zamboanga City, to look for another job. There, I felt hopeless and desperate. I thought I would really become a jobless man all my life.

But prayers, indeed, bring miracles. After a month of staying jobless in Zamboanga, a friend was sent to me by Ed Nercuit, TVIRD’s Manager for Civil Engineering Services. Impressed with my skills in drawing, he wanted to hire me as a sign painter. I remembered that while on guard duty in Canatuan, I sketched the faces of the company’s managers to while away boredom.

Again I was back in Canatuan, this time, no longer a small-scale miner nor a blue guard, but a sign painter directly employed by TVIRD. I worked hard knowing that my future is assured.

Verily, my stay in the company has not only provided me a good source of income and a better life for my own family. I was able to buy an acre of land now planted with rubber trees. I started building a house for my wife and two growing children.

My job now is not only confined to painting signs. I am part of a team that is in charge of raising our fellow workers’ consciousness on safety above all as they go about doing their jobs. It is not easy, since people, like the Canatuan orebody, are complex beings who come from with different backgrounds, experiences and cultures. My life experience, however, taught me to always be resilient, patient and firm. With these lessons consistently demonstrated on a daily basis by our Safety Team, I am confident that we will succeed in accomplishing our goal of creating a safety culture in Canatuan, the ancestral land of the Subanon indigenous people whom I profoundly respect. Good things happen to people who have a strong faith in God and to those who work hard to reach their dreams. (Romeo Maude)

A glimmer of hope

by Rodolfo Balagot, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Zamboanga Sibugay

“When I went on a mine tour at Canatuan, Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte with members of the media from Ipil, the Zamboanga Sibugay provincial capital, to see for ourselves TVI Resource Development Phils. Inc. (TVIRD)’s copper-zinc mining operations, I was awed with what I saw.”

Born in, and raised by, a poor peasant family, I have always understood how it is to be deprived of material needs and wants. And having been born during the turbulent ‘70s when martial law had just been declared, I understood early in life many of the woes plaguing our nation and people. Poverty stood out among those woes because of my family’s first-hand experience. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, I took our situation as a challenge and worked my way through high school. In college, I was fortunate to obtain a scholarship upon the recommendation of a Jesuit friend. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Agriculture at the Jesuit-run Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City (now Ateneo de Cagayan).

I am for the economic uplift of our countrymen without sacrificing the future of our children. I am for sustainable development and for the protection of Mother Earth. To me, these are non-negotiable. I am also sure these were the reasons why I was appointed Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) in Zamboanga del Sur province and later on in Zamboanga Sibugay, a position I have been holding for more than a decade now.
As a true-blooded Zamboangueno, I know that the Zamboanga Peninsula is rich in natural resources. It is sitting not only on a pot of gold but we do have coal and we are rich with carbon mineral deposits. In Zamboanga Sibugay alone, we have the towns of Diplahan, Imelda and Malangas, which are all rich with coal.

It is a pity therefore that there are some sectors of our society that do not support responsible mining. Either they do not understand what responsible mining is and the benefits it can give to the people and our government, or they simply have vested interests of their own.

When I went on a mine tour at Canatuan, Siocon in Zamboanga del Norte with members of the media from Ipil, the Zamboanga Sibugay provincial capital, to see for ourselves TVI Resource Development Phils. Inc. (TVIRD)’s copper-zinc mining operations, I was awed with what I saw. I was impressed to see a community of contented employees, of members of the management team who are serious in carrying out the mandates of their respective departments, as well as the company’s social and environmental protection and enhancement programs. I saw a contented Subanon tribe, which the company refers to as its host community. We heard no rhetoric, instead we saw results.

The mine tour was an enriching experience for me. In Canatuan, I saw in flesh how the word “responsible mining” is actually being converted into fruitful action.

“Environmental protection and social development are critical to all of us,” TVIRD Canatuan General Manager Ely Valmores told me. “These are the reasons why we invited you here; for you to take a closer look at our operations. We are aware of our environmental ‘footprint’. But through our environmental management programs, we see to it that we will rehabilitate what we had disturbed.”

I know for a fact that every mining company is required by the government to comply with the requirements set by the Environment Compliance Certificate or ECC issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to protect the earth and the host and adjacent communities. From what I have seen in Canatuan, I have no doubt that TVIRD has religiously complied with what is required by its ECC.

What struck me and perhaps most members of the fourth estate is the tailings impoundment facility that TVIRD constructed for its waste from the processing plant. Called Sulphide Dam, the facility, I believe, has lived up to the expectations of its builders. It really is an impoundment not only for the plant’s waste but also the silts coming from the disturbed areas within the mine pit and surrounding areas.

Pondering on what I saw, I envied the host municipality of TVIRD. The local taxes the company has been paying have surely added much to its coffers; the employment provided to the residents has reduced Siocon’s unemployment problem. I know there are more added benefits that the municipality has been receiving from the company, which began operations here in 2004. TVIRD’s host barangay warmly welcomed us, a gesture that not only mirrors the traditional Filipino hospitality but also that of a contented people. Barangay Chairman Bonifacio Patoh and Timuay Jose “Boy” Anoy, chieftain of the Subanon tribe even urged us to welcome other mining companies in Sibugay Province so we ourselves will experience the benefits of responsible mining.

The chieftain’s invitation made me smile. I know him. He was once a staunch leader of anti-mining groups in Zamboanga Peninsula, and even went to the United Nations because of his advocacy. The frail-looking Timuay of Siocon hasn’t changed so much in appearance but his stand on mining has. Perhaps, if only other sectors of our society begin to listen and to think not only of themselves, there is still hope for this country to progress. I saw this glimmer of hope in Canatuan, the land of the Subanons, host to TVIRD, which, in turn, is an active proponent of responsible mining.

Give this �new kid� a chance

by Rocky Dimaculangan, President, Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao; Director for Public Affairs, TVIRD

The mining industry today can be likened to a new kid in town. The town mayor – the national government in our case – puts forward this new kid as somebody who can provide solutions to many problems, particularly in the least developed portions of the town – the poverty-stricken rural areas of the country. Like the “New Kid in Town” in the song made popular by the ‘70s rock band Eagles, there are “great expectations” on the mining industry. And “everybody’s watching.”

Our new kid has the money and the know-how – or, more accurately, the capital and the technology – to help solve the town’s problems. But there’s a hitch; he has a bad reputation. While in the song everybody loves the new kid, the same cannot be said of today’s mining industry. Reason is, his older brother, the mining industry of yesteryears, has been accused, among others, of being unfriendly to the environment, of displacing people from their homes, and of sapping the life out of communities, making them ghost towns when he left. Sadly, some of the accusations are true.

Which is why some people in the neighborhood are suspicious of our new kid. Despite the enactment of The Mining Act of 1995, which is considered one of the best, if not the best in the world, to regulate our new kid’s activities, some townsfolk are still hell bent on keeping him out. Some communities issue ordinances to stop our new kid on his track, like, for instance, the banning of open-pit mining. Others withhold support for our new kid simply because he follows the law on the manner of payment of excise taxes, which dictates that payments should be made directly to the national government. Others complain about the amount of their share in those excise taxes despite the law’s being clear on the partitioning of shares. Still, other sectors advocate the repeal of The Mining Act, and lobby for its replacement by an alternative mining bill – one that, if passed, will only push our new kid out of town. For the mining industry that is determined to be a serious partner in nation building, these developments are quite disconcerting.

We in the Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao or COREMIN2 submit that the benefits that can be derived from legitimate large-scale mining companies should be viewed on a much wider scale and not limited to the taxes these companies pay alone. The mining industry provides hundreds of jobs, business opportunities, and social development projects to residents of host and impact communities. The Mining Act sees to it that these communities derive maximum benefits from large-scale mining operations. The law also guarantees that world-class standards and appropriate measures are in place to mitigate the impact of these operations on the environment and that these standards and measures are strictly complied with.

COREMIN2 takes pride in having member companies of varying sizes and different stages of operations from all over Mindanao who view profit in the same light as planet and people. We all believe that both profitable operations and sustainable development can be achieved through responsible mining. We also subscribe to the principle that sustainability is about operating in ways that meet and integrate existing environmental, economic and social needs of our host communities without compromising the well being of future generations. To us, sustainable development through responsible mining makes good business sense.

We in COREMIN2 like to think that we walk the talk; we are not for motherhood statements. To illustrate, in 2009 alone, one of our members, Sagittarius Mines, Incorporated or SMI, contributed more than 1.3 billion pesos to the Philippine economy and invested more than 79 million pesos on community development initiatives. And SMI has not even begun operating its Tampakan Project yet. An economic impact assessment study indicates that, should the Tampakan Project be developed, its revenue stream to the Philippine economy would be around 40 billion dollars over the estimated 25-year life of the project, and would have the potential to increase the country’s gross domestic product by an average of one percent per year for 25 years.

For another member, Philex Gold Philippines, Incorporated or PGPI, the word “reforestation” is extremely inadequate to describe its rehabilitation effort for the mine site that this company decommissioned in Sibutad, the town right next to where we are now. The perfect word to describe Philex’s effort is “forestation”. Where there were only a handful of trees in the area they found before they began their mining operations in 1997, they planted a total of 409,000 trees over 140 hectares of hills and mountains along the coast of Murcielagos Bay – truly a sight to behold.

Meanwhile, at TVI Resource Development Philippines, Incorporated’s Canatuan Project in Siocon, a recently concluded terrestrial flora and fauna survey revealed that inside the company’s 508-hectare Mineral Production Sharing Agreement area, a total of 372 species were identified thriving despite the fact that the company has been mining in the area since 2004. Some of these species are endemic only to Mindanao and are already considered threatened species. Another interesting item of information is that more than 10% of all the different bird species found in the Philippines were identified within TVIRD’s small MPSA area. This suggests that available habitat remains intact and supports this large species population.

Another COREMIN2 member, APEX Mining Company boasts of its successful relationships with its host indigenous cultural communities, and all its stakeholders. Through community engagement, APEX brings about the cultural, economic, social and ecological development of their Indigenous brothers and sisters, and community residents into fruition.
Last year, APEX turned over its royalty payment to the Mansaka tribe of Maco, Compostela Valley. The royalties amounting to 19 million pesos were equally distributed to the 29 impact barangays and used in different projects such as the delineation and titling of the Ancestral Domain of the Mansaka tribe and IP census; the creation of the tribe’s Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan; leadership capability and skills training; IP youth skills training; educational assistance program; livelihood and agricultural assistance. The acceptance being enjoyed by APEX symbolizes its beneficial co-existence with its stakeholders where transparency, respect and community stewardship prevail.

Our other member companies, 168 Ferrum Pacific Mining Corporation, Perfect World Metal Mining Corporation, as well Industrial Sand and Gravel permit holders Montano Construction & Development Corporation, RS Tan, Jalosjos, and Monteclaro are, in their own small ways, contributing to the uplift of the quality of life in their host communities by providing basic services such as education, livelihood, health and sanitation as well as infrastructure that were heretofore inaccessible to these communities. In many instances, these companies have effectively become the surrogate of government, not because the government does not want to provide these services, but because it is simply short on resources. By “services”, I’m referring to the building of schools and donation of learning equipment; the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of roads; the provision of medical care; the opening of employment opportunities; as well as the conduct of capacity building programs, among others.

Indeed, contrary to what naysayers are trying very hard to make us believe, responsible mining is possible. And it is happening in Mindanao.

We realize that the opposition to mining can be attributed, in large part, to the lack of a concerted effort to let our stakeholders know about the good things responsible mining companies are doing all over the country. This, coupled with the orchestrated and well-funded misinformation and disinformation campaign of some sectors whose reason for being – and in some instances, source of livelihood – is to discredit and to undermine mining, has made students, parishioners, community residents and the like unaware that modern mining systems and technology and the laws of the land have converged to ensure that minerals development is conducted in a manner that is responsible and that guarantees a sustainable future for mining communities.

COREMIN2 seeks to fill this knowledge vacuum. Early this year, we crafted our Vision and Mission statements and anchored our objectives on the Principle of Transparency. In the coming months, we will embark on an intensive Information, Education and Communication campaign aimed at winning hearts and minds to our cause. The elements of this campaign are clearly outlined in COREMIN2’s Dapitan Declaration.

We understand that we cannot win the war for people’s hearts and minds if we march to the battles alone. If our collective past experiences were to be a gauge, we expect the battlefields ahead to be fraught with dishonesty, falsehood, and fabrication laid by an adversary without any accountability and regard for due diligence and duty of care. We believe the only way to win is to arm ourselves with facts, honesty, and certainty.

Wherever possible, we will seek strong alliances and partnerships with like-minded institutions such as the University of the Philippines Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, the UP 49ers, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Mindanao Business Council, the Philippine Mine Safety and Environmental Association, the Philippine Society of Mining Engineers, the Mindanao Association of Mining Engineers, the Society of Metallurgical Engineers of the Philippines, the Geological Society of the Philippines and, of course, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Environmental Management Bureau, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines. We will also seek the help of the leaders and residents of our partner communities from the tribal to the local government levels in this campaign. We are heartened to note that our host communities and majority of the organizations I just mentioned have sent their top officials to join us this afternoon and express their unequivocal support for our Coalition. Let’s give everybody a big round of applause.

To date, there are 10 mining company members of COREMIN2 from all over Mindanao. In the last 10 months, we focused our energies on strengthening the bond between and among the members, focusing on quality, rather than quantity. In the following months, we expect our membership to grow as several officials of Mindanao-based mining firms approached me last week at the Mining Philippines conference in Manila expressing interest in becoming a member. So long as they commit themselves to help achieve COREMIN2’s Vision and Mission, they are most welcome to join us.

In closing and in behalf of COREMIN2, I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks to MGB Region 9 Director Jessica Lucero for planting the seeds of our Coalition during the three-day mining forum that MGB and the Regional Minerals Development Council hosted in Zamboanga City last year. Let me also thank all our distinguished guests for accepting our invitation to be with us in this auspicious gathering. This new kid in this town called Mindanao looks forward to working closely with you in the coming months.

Kami po ay kaisa ninyo sa responsableng pagmimina.

Muli, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.