2008-01-17
NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines- Tribal villagers up north Luzon blockaded the Australian mining company from further exploring minerals in their community, Friday noon, and forced the mining firm to leave the village.
According to reports, hundred dozens of indigenous residents in Kasibu town ,”pushed away employees of a foreign mining firm and their earth-moving equipment that were supposed to start exploration in their community”, said Inq.Net. The action held by local people has lead to an indefinite operation shut down of OceanaGold Philippines Inc.- an Australian company.
Indigenous residents were only protecting the Papaya watershed that feed the Alimudin, Malong and Pahduan rivers. These are the main sources of irrigation for about 150,000 fruit trees in Malabing Valley, which has six villages. But the mining firm came in without consent among the villagers and threaten their means of existence.
This is what the Australian Mining Company has said in their media release:
“OceanaGold officials insist they no longer need proof of consent from the community since they have a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) granted by the government in 1994 to Climax Mining Ltd.”