BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO

IN Barangay Bitnong, Dupax del Norte, a P2.1-million hanging bridge now connects Purok Bingo 1 and Purok Bingo 2, and stretches of farm-to-market road in Sitio Keon and Sitio Bingo have been concreted through the provincial government’s Dalan ti Umili program — 650 bags of cement from the province, labor from the barangay.

For Barangay Captain Bert Gorio and his constituents, the meaning is immediate and practical. Farmers can move their produce even when it rains. Children can go to school without risking a river crossing. A new P1-million day care center is on the way. It is easy to understand why Gorio thanked Governor Jose Gambito.

This is development at its most basic and most felt. And it is happening across Nueva Vizcaya’s uplands.

But every road built upland asks a second, harder question: what else does it open?

The first answer is livelihood.

An upland road shortens distance to the market, cuts hauling costs, reduces post-harvest losses. A farmer who used to carry sacks on foot or pay high habal-habal fees can now bring more, fresher, faster. Prices improve. Traders come closer. When mobility improves, farming becomes viable as a business, not just subsistence.

For a province that depends on agriculture, that is not small. Farm-to-market roads are among the highest-return public investments.

The second answer is pressure.

The same road that brings produce out brings people in. It brings chainsaws, charcoal makers, and those looking for new patches to kaingin. It makes what was once a natural barrier — steepness, distance, inaccessibility — suddenly accessible.

In Nueva Vizcaya, our remaining forests are not in the lowlands anymore. They are in the uplands, exactly where Bitnong and many other barangays sit — in the buffer zones of watersheds, in ancestral domains, in areas that the Comprehensive Land Use Plan classifies as forest, not agricultural.

When a road is concreted, land values nearby rise. The temptation to extend farms beyond the suitable slope — to clear secondary forest because the road is now there — becomes strong.

We have seen this pattern before: good road, more corn, then more erosion, then less water downstream.

The challenge, therefore, is not whether to build upland roads. We must. But how to build them with a clear line between production and protection.

Three things can help:

1. Build with a land-use map, not just a cement map. Before another bag of cement is poured, barangay and municipal LGUs should reaffirm which areas are open for agriculture and which are not. The road should serve the first and stop at the edge of the second.

2. Pair the road with tenure and enforcement. Farmers with secure tenure farm better and clear less. At the same time, Bantay Gubat, DENR and LGUs need presence where the road ends and the forest begins.

3. Make the road carry more than crops. If the only way to benefit from a road is to produce more area, we will lose forest. If the road also brings extension services, high-value crop support, and consolidation areas that raise yield without expanding area, then preservation becomes possible.

Bitnong’s new bridge and road are worth celebrating. They are the product of counterparting — province, municipality and barangay working together. They prove that small projects, P2.1 million here, 650 bags there, change lives.

The next step is to make sure that the same road that helps a farmer bring his harvest to Dupax does not make it easier for someone else to bring the forest down to the market.

A road is never just concrete. It is direction. We should choose where it leads.

BACKDROP

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO

IN Barangay Bitnong, Dupax del Norte, a P2.1-million hanging bridge now connects Purok Bingo 1 and Purok Bingo 2, and stretches of farm-to-market road in Sitio Keon and Sitio Bingo have been concreted through the provincial government’s Dalan ti Umili program — 650 bags of cement from the province, labor from the barangay.

For Barangay Captain Bert Gorio and his constituents, the meaning is immediate and practical. Farmers can move their produce even when it rains. Children can go to school without risking a river crossing. A new P1-million day care center is on the way. It is easy to understand why Gorio thanked Governor Jose Gambito.

This is development at its most basic and most felt. And it is happening across Nueva Vizcaya’s uplands.

But every road built upland asks a second, harder question: what else does it open?

The first answer is livelihood.

An upland road shortens distance to the market, cuts hauling costs, reduces post-harvest losses. A farmer who used to carry sacks on foot or pay high habal-habal fees can now bring more, fresher, faster. Prices improve. Traders come closer. When mobility improves, farming becomes viable as a business, not just subsistence.

For a province that depends on agriculture, that is not small. Farm-to-market roads are among the highest-return public investments.

The second answer is pressure.

The same road that brings produce out brings people in. It brings chainsaws, charcoal makers, and those looking for new patches to kaingin. It makes what was once a natural barrier — steepness, distance, inaccessibility — suddenly accessible.

In Nueva Vizcaya, our remaining forests are not in the lowlands anymore. They are in the uplands, exactly where Bitnong and many other barangays sit — in the buffer zones of watersheds, in ancestral domains, in areas that the Comprehensive Land Use Plan classifies as forest, not agricultural.

When a road is concreted, land values nearby rise. The temptation to extend farms beyond the suitable slope — to clear secondary forest because the road is now there — becomes strong.

We have seen this pattern before: good road, more corn, then more erosion, then less water downstream.

The challenge, therefore, is not whether to build upland roads. We must. But how to build them with a clear line between production and protection.

Three things can help:

1. Build with a land-use map, not just a cement map. Before another bag of cement is poured, barangay and municipal LGUs should reaffirm which areas are open for agriculture and which are not. The road should serve the first and stop at the edge of the second.

2. Pair the road with tenure and enforcement. Farmers with secure tenure farm better and clear less. At the same time, Bantay Gubat, DENR and LGUs need presence where the road ends and the forest begins.

3. Make the road carry more than crops. If the only way to benefit from a road is to produce more area, we will lose forest. If the road also brings extension services, high-value crop support, and consolidation areas that raise yield without expanding area, then preservation becomes possible.

Bitnong’s new bridge and road are worth celebrating. They are the product of counterparting — province, municipality and barangay working together. They prove that small projects, P2.1 million here, 650 bags there, change lives.

The next step is to make sure that the same road that helps a farmer bring his harvest to Dupax does not make it easier for someone else to bring the forest down to the market.

A road is never just concrete. It is direction. We should choose where it leads.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC), the government’s mining arm, has expressed its support for and adoption of “Big Brother–Small Brother” initiative, a partnership framework that encourages cooperation between large-scale mining operators and small-scale miners.

PMDC President and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Job Adrian M. Ambrosio said the Corporation is adopting the approach in recognition of the support of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for collaborative programs that promote the formalization of small-scale mining, responsible mineral development, improved mine safety, environmental compliance, and inclusive economic growth.

Under the model, established and technically capable mining operators may assist small-scale miners in transitioning toward legal, properly regulated, and environmentally responsible operations. Assistance may include technical guidance, mine planning, safety systems, environmental management, mineral processing, regulatory compliance, and access to legitimate markets.

The proposal seeks to demonstrate that responsible mining can create lasting economic opportunities while significantly improving worker safety, environmental stewardship, and community welfare in mining host communities.

For decades, a significant portion of the country’s small-scale mining sector has operated outside the formal regulatory system. Illegal and unregulated mining activities often expose workers to hazardous underground conditions where accidents and fatalities remain a serious concern.

The unregulated use of mercury and cyanide may also contribute to the contamination of rivers and waterways, while the absence of proper engineering, mine planning, waste management, and erosion-control measures increases the risks of landslides, pollution, and environmental degradation.

Illegal mining operations have likewise been associated with child labor, inadequate social protection, and economic inequities, where a limited number of individuals receive substantial profits while many miners continue to work under dangerous conditions and earn only modest incomes.

Recognizing these longstanding challenges, Ambrosio said enforcement must be accompanied by practical and viable legal alternatives that encourage small-scale miners to enter the formal economy and become part of a safer, more productive, and properly regulated mining industry.

“The MGB has recognized that cooperation between large-scale mining companies and small-scale miners can provide a practical pathway toward formalization. PMDC supports this direction and intends to adopt the Big Brother–Small Brother approach in appropriate PMDC mining areas,” Ambrosio said.

Ambrosio noted that the partnership approach draws from programs such as the Big Brother–Small Brother initiative implemented by Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI), a subsidiary of Apex Mining Co., Inc., which demonstrates how established mining operators can help small-scale miners improve safety, compliance, environmental management, livelihood generation, and operational sustainability.

PMDC will work closely with the MGB, local government units, indigenous cultural communities, small-scale mining associations, partner operators, and other concerned government agencies to determine how the model may be responsibly implemented in suitable PMDC projects and mineral areas.

Ambrosio said the future of Philippine mining should be inclusive—one where mineral development benefits small-scale miners and their families, host communities, local governments, and the national economy.

“Responsible mining must create opportunity, not exclusion. By working with the MGB and our mining communities, we can help transform informal mining into a safer, legal, environmentally responsible, and sustainable industry that provides long-term livelihoods for Filipino miners,” Ambrosio said.

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — The leadership of the Balatoc Kalinga Tribe Inc. (BKTI) has strongly denounced recent statements circulating in the media opposing the development of the Batong Buhay mining project, describing them as false, misleading, and unrepresentative of the legitimate position of the Balatoc Tribe.

Speaking on behalf of the Balatoc tribe, Victor Gumisa emphasized that the statements being attributed to the Balatoc community do not represent the views of the recognized Indigenous People’s organization (IPO), the Council of Elders, nor the overwhelming majority of the Balatoc, Pasil people in Kalinga.

“The public deserves to know the truth. These statements are not supported by the recognized leadership of the Balatoc Tribe. They are false, misleading, and intended to create confusion regarding the legitimate aspirations of our people,” Gumisa said.

BKTI Holds the Lawful Mandate

Gumisa explained that the Balatoc Tribe has already exercised its priority rights over its ancestral domain, as recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in 2008.

As the duly recognized representative of the Balatoc Tribe, BKTI was subsequently granted the Certificate of Precondition (CP) covering the exploration area, giving it the authority and responsibility to determine the development of the mineral resources within Exploration Permit Application (EXPA) No. 79.

“The authority to decide the future development of our ancestral domain rests with BKTI and the recognized leadership of the Balatoc Tribe—not with individuals pursuing their own personal interests,” Gumisa stressed.

Strong Community Support for Responsible Mining

According to Gumisa, the President and Board of Directors of BKTI, together with the majority of tribal elders, have expressed their full support for the responsible development of the Batong Buhay Mine.

BKTI has formally nominated Metals Exploration as its preferred mining partner to develop the project under a partnership model designed to ensure that Indigenous Peoples become genuine stakeholders in the project.

Under the proposed Joint Venture arrangement, the Balatoc tribe will receive a 20-percent equity stake in the operating company and representation on its Board of Directors.

“This is a pioneering model in the Philippine mining industry. For the first time, an Indigenous community will become a true equity partner in a major mining operation rather than simply receiving royalties. We believe this can become the benchmark for future responsible mining developments on ancestral lands.”

Development Benefits for the Entire Community

FEMC (Faratuk Exploration & Mining Company) has already presented a draft Memorandum of Agreement to the community outlining substantial development commitments, including:

-Construction of the long-awaited ₱100-million access road to Balatoc;

-Improved healthcare facilities and medical services;

-Scholarship programs for local students;

-Employment and livelihood opportunities;

-Infrastructure development;

-Community development and other long-term social benefits.

“For decades our people have waited for meaningful development. This partnership offers an opportunity to improve the lives of future generations while ensuring that our ancestral domain remains under Indigenous ownership and participation,” Gumisa said.

Gumisa did not sign any MOA or JOA yet until the Balatoc tribe, and PMDC will reach acceptable agreement.  What the people and government will decide, that is what I support. I did not sign any agreement without consulting my community and presenting documents to Balatoc lawyers and professionals, they need to be involved. The June 25 meeting at Balatoc was initial presentation of MOA.

Questions Raised Over Illegal Mining Operations

Gumisa also expressed concern that opposition to the project appears to be driven by vested interests seeking to preserve existing illegal mining activities in the area.

“If these efforts succeed in preventing the responsible development of Batong Buhay, it will not be the ordinary people of Balatoc who benefit. Instead, poverty will continue while only a few individuals involved in illegal operations profit from our natural resources.”

Improper small scale mining caused the death of some of our tribes’ members.  Responsible small scale mining will continue with technical assistance of FEMC. We will prioritize CADT certificate of ancestral domain titling processing and ADSDPP ancestral domain sustainable development plan of our Tribe.

A Project of National Importance

Gumisa emphasized that the proposed Batong Buhay project represents far more than a local mining venture. It is expected to contribute to the country’s critical minerals development strategy while delivering lasting benefits to Indigenous communities.

“The choice before us is clear. We can continue with unregulated and illegal activities that benefit only a few, or we can pursue a transparent, legally compliant, community-led mining project that creates jobs, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and lasting prosperity for our people.”

The DENR Region 2 said the activity aims to orient the participants on the legislation process and requirements for the remaining initial component and proposed protected areas in the region, and to introduce new policies and guidelines in protected area management.

Currently, the Cagayan Valley region has eight legislated protected areas, and the DENR is working on the legislation of four additional protected areas, including the five areas under the initial component.

Directed by DENR Regio 2 Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan, the capacity building for PA managers is “integral in achieving the department’s goal to intensify the preservation of protected areas in the region.”

Resource speakers from the Biodiversity Management Bureau and DENR regional and field offices provided the participants knowledge on critical habitat establishment, guidelines on the issuance of Environmental Compliance Certificates in PAs, Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System, protocols and identification of flora and fauna monitoring, protected area information system, and basics in photography.

A hands-on session on flora and fauna monitoring and photo documentation was also conducted at Tumauini Watershed Natural Park, a protected area in Isabela province. After the fieldwork, the participants processed and analyzed the data gathered.

“As protected area managers, we should be proactive and be firm in enforcing environmental laws,” Assistant Region 2 Executive Director for Technical Services Ismael Manaligod emphasized during the closing program of the activity.

It was organized and facilitated by the Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation Section of DENR Region 2. DENR REGION 2

MASTERMINDS of Kapa Community Ministry International, Inc. (KAPA), touted as the largest investment scam in Philippine history, have been sentenced to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment for syndicated estafa, following a case build-up by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its illegal investment-taking activities.

In a decision promulgated on December 12, Branch 33 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Butuan City found Kapa leaders Joel Apolinario, Cristobal R. Baradad, and Joji A. Jusay guilty beyond reasonable doubt of eight counts of syndicated estafa, as defined and penalized under Article 315 (2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Presidential Decree No. 1689.

Apolinario, also referred to as Pastor Joel, was the founder and president of KAPA, while Baradad and Jusay were among its incorporators. All three were sentenced to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment and to pay eight actual damages amounting to P195,000 to complainants.

Syndicated estafa is committed by any person who shall defraud another by, among others, means of false pretenses or fraudulent acts executed prior to or simultaneously with the commission fraud, by using a fictitious name, or falsely pretending to possess power, influence, qualifications, property, credit, agency, business, or imaginary transactions, or by means of other similar deceits.

The RTC found all elements of estafa present in the case, given that there was false pretense or misrepresentation made by Apolinario and the other accused when they claimed to be authorized to engage in a profit-making venture or business. The case was actively prosecuted by Assistant City Prosecutor Claudine L. Calo and City Prosecutor Aljay O. Go.

“Clearly, [Apolinario] together with [Baradad and Jusay] employed fraud or deceit by falsely pretending or misrepresenting that they are authorized by the SEC to engage in profit-making business when in truth and in fact, they are not authorized to do so being a non-stock corporation,” the RTC held.

The accused promised investors a 30% monthly interest for life on their investments. Relying on this false pretense, the complainants were duped to invest their money. As a result, they suffered damage since nothing was returned from their investments, the RTC held.

The court affirmed the finding of the SEC that the solicitation activities of KAPA were akin to a Ponzi scheme.

“The Court takes credence on the testimony of the witness from SEC, who testified that the means employed by KAPA is akin to a Ponzi scheme,” read the decision.

“In People of the Philippines vs. Rosario Baladjay, which is on all fours with the present cases, a similar ruling was made by the Supreme Court which explained the too-good-to-be-true promises of a Ponzi scheme, wherein the purported investment program offers impossible high returns and pays these returns to early investors out of the capital contributed by later investors,” the court noted.

The decision comes around six years after the SEC found KAPA to have enticed the public to invest P10,000 in the guise of a donation, in exchange for a 30% monthly return for life dubbed as a “blessing.”

Under Section 8(8.1) of the SRC, securities shall not be sold or offered for sale or distribution within the Philippines without a registration statement duly filed and approved by the SEC.

Section 26.1 further provides that it shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, in connection with the purchase or sale of any securities to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud.

Section 28 adds that no person shall engage in the business of buying or selling securities in the Philippines as a broker or dealer, or act as a salesman, or an associated person of any broker or dealer unless registered with the SEC.

The SEC issued an advisory against KAPA as early as March 2017, warning investors of its Ponzi-like characteristics. A cease and desist order was later issued on February 14, 2019, followed by an order of revocation of KAPA’s certificate of incorporation on April 3, 2019.

To further protect affected investors, the SEC, through the Anti-Money Laundering Council, obtained a Freeze Order from the Court of Appeals on June 4, 2019 to preserve assets linked to KAPA.

The SEC also continued to remind the general public to exercise more caution and discernment as certain supporters and promoters of KAPA peddled false information about the group’s supposed revival. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO

QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (July 5, 2023)—To benchmark the company’s best practices, particularly in the implementation of community development and environmental programs, a delegation from the mineral-rich town of Mankayan in Benguet visited FCF Minerals Corporation’s Runruno Mine here.

The Mankayan delegation from Crescent Mining and Development Corporation (CMDC) was led by CMDC president Ronnie Siapno, CMDC consultant Ian Moller and CMDC country manager Joey Nelson Ayson, who is also the president of the Philippine Mining and Exploration Association

Also with the delegation for the benchmarking were Jay-L Espada, the executive assistant and representative of Mankayan Mayor Dario Banario; Vice Mayor Julio Joey Culliao, and other local government unit staff and employees.

FCF employees headed by the General Manager for Operations Lorne Harvey welcomed the delegation and participants.

FCF Minerals said the first two-day visit of the Mankayan delegation focused on the implementation of the Social Development and Management Program or SDMP of the company in the downstream barangays of Quezon town including those in the municipality.

This town’s mayor Dolores Binwag together with the head of offices of the municipal local government unit and barangay captains welcomed the participants at the mayor’s office.

Binwag said the visitors had the opportunity to learn more about the local government’s programs, projects and activities implemented in their jurisdiction and how it benefited the residents in their barangays, including those assisted by the company.

The Mankayan delegation on the second day was also brought to the active mine area and the Residual Storage Impoundment.

Allan Day, FCF Mine Operations Manager, and his team toured the delegation for them to learn more about the processes in the mines with a community visit in Barangay Runruno, the company’s host community.

Village chief John Babli-ing also shared how the company changed the lives of the residents of Runruno since FCF Minerals operated affirming the company’s responsible mining operation in their area.

The group also visited some of the livelihood programs of Runruno and had the opportunity to talk to the members of the associations about their livelihood.

The participants expressed their appreciation to FCF Minerals and the LGU of Quezon and Runruno village for the learning experience in the Runruno Mine and its surrounding communities.

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO

QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (July 1, 2023)—As part of the company’s commitment to enhance the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of its employees, another series of training and workshops was recently conducted by the FCF Minerals Corporation.

According to Lorne Harvey, FCF Minerals Corp. General Manager for Operations, the completed training for May 2023 includes six employees from the Fixed Plant Maintenance Department’s Instrumentation section.

The employees participated in Industrial Process Control Training from May 9 to 11, 2023 conducted by the MFI Polytechnic Institute, Inc.

He said nine employees from the Mine Technical Services of the Mining Department’s Geology, Geotechnical and Hydrogeology section underwent Leapfrog Fundamentals and Edge-Resource Estimation Training from May 16 to 21, 2023 provided by Measured Group Pty Ltd.

From the Community Relations Office, five employees joined the Social Entrepreneurship 101 Training from May 22 to 23, 2023 conducted by the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia or ISEA.

Furthermore, two process trainers from the Process Plant Operations Department underwent the Training of Trainers from May 29 to 31, 2023 which was spearheaded by the Trainovate.

Harvey said these training programs demonstrate FCF Minerals Corporation’s commitment to the professional development of its workforce.

A London-based mining firm, FCF operates the Runruno Gold-Molybdenum Project under a financial or technical assistance agreement or FTAA with the Philippine government.

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 26)—A provincial board member has told Australian OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) to respect the independence and right of barangay (village) officials in opposing the firm’s mining operation in their village.

“It is harassment when their (barangay officials) independence becomes a reason for the mining firm not to release funds because they are obliged to release such funds for the development of the community where they operate,” board member Edgardo Balgos said.

Also a lawyer, Balgos said OceanaGold must honor the independence and the right of the village officials of the mining firm’s host, Barangay Didipio in Kasibu town, to state their beliefs on various issues and hassles brought about by the mining operation.

The board member’s reaction stemmed from the stance of the barangay council of Didipio when it withdrew its opposition to OceanaGold or the Didipio Mine operation expressed through the passage of a resolution against OceanaGold’s extension.

“The stance of the barangay officials should not be a reason to prevent or restrict the funds for the barangay and our people. OceanaGold must give what is due them,” Balgos said.

He described it as disheartening to learn that the village council has withdrawn opposition to the extension of the Didipio Mine, which has reportedly failed to become compliant in many aspects in its continuance of operation.

On June 3, 2022, the Didipio barangay council passed Resolution 38, which strongly opposed the approved renewal of OGPI’s financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) by the national government.

An FTAA is a permit issued to a multinational company sharing technology and resources to explore and extract minerals in the Philippines.

“[T]hat such FTAA renewal did not undergo prior consultation and no Sanggunian resolution from the local government units concerned was obtained as mandated by Sections 27 and 27 of the Local Government Code of 1991,” the resolution stated.

It also alleged that the renewal and resumption of the OGPI operation did not undergo consultation with the community in Didipio; that the company failed to deliver its services to the community through the social development and management program (SDMP); and that it conducted violent demolition of houses and violated human rights, among others.

The barangay council, however, passed Resolution 61 revoking in its entirety Resolution 38, and thus, withdrawing opposition to the extension and operation of OceanaGold.

Henry Guay, Didipio barangay council member, said the revocation of Resolution 38 is just appropriate.

“Since the OGPI’s [FTAA] has been approved, what needs to be done is for the barangay council and the OGPI to continue working together for the implementation of various programs, projects and activities under the SDMP,” Guay said.

He explained that there are pending commitments under the 2013 community memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the council and the mining firm for the welfare of the whole community.

Citing Resolution 61, Guay said the barangay council and the OGPI must continually work and stand together for good.

“The two must be united as one community to achieve a common goal to complete the implementation of all SDMP and MoA projects, programs and activities before the year 2023 ends,” he added.

Guay said the partnership between the council and the OGPI is important to protect the environment, improve the quality of life in the community, and maintain a peaceful and orderly community, all for the good of the community.

On July 14, 2021, the national government renewed the Didipio Mine’s FTAA for an additional 25 years beginning June 19, 2019.

The initial 25-year FTAA took effect on June 20, 1994 and expired on June 20, 2019, a year after OceanaGold lodged its renewal application.

BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 12)—The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Cagayan Valley led a multi-sectoral Tree Planting recently in this province as part of the National Disaster Resilience Month celebration.

According to Robert Corpuz, Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer, the tree planting activity was carried out in Barangay Maddiangat Watershed in Quezon town.

It was joined by various government agencies and private organizations in the province and neighboring provinces in Region 2, all members of different municipal disaster risk reduction management councils.

According to Corpuz, the tree planting activity was done in the Maddiangat Watershed because it is a Local Conservation Area for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services based on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

He added that the Maddiangat Watershed is part of Mt. Palali, one of the favorite mountaineering attractions in the province.