News

1Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Cagayan, News

4 illegal loggers nabbed in Cagayan

Police confiscates an estimated volume of 4,671.73 board feet illegally sawn lumber worth P255,155.60 in Santa Ana town, Cagayan. PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE-CAGAYAN CAMP MARCELO A ADDURU, TUGUEGARAO CITY: Four suspected illegal loggers were arrested while transporting illegally sawn lumber in Santa Ana town in Cagayan province, according to a police report released on Sunday. Lt. Col. Andree Abella, Police Regional Office 2 (PRO2) chief, said an Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) checkpoint operation in Barangay Casambalangan in Santa Ana town stopped four individuals onboard a truck without proper documents relating to the lumber transported. Abella said the lumber with an estimated volume of 4,671.73 board feet worth P255,155.60 were seized from Jordan Dela Cruz R...

Mining company expects over 1.5K jobs under new FTAA

30Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

Mining company expects over 1.5K jobs under new FTAA

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO GETTING READY OceanaGold Didipio Mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, prepares for its operation after Malacañang renewed its Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO GETTING READY OceanaGold Didipio Mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, prepares for its operation after Malacañang renewed its Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (July 30)—Australian OceanaGold Corp. is expecting more than 1,500 jobs will be generated as Malacañang renewed the license of its Didipio Mine Gold and Copper Project in this upland municipality. In his LinkedIn page, Sam Pazuki, OceanaGold Corp. senior vice president for strategy and corporate development, said the renewal of their company's mining contract in th...

Citicore, Agriterra jump start USAid project

29Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Nation, News

Citicore, Agriterra jump start USAid project

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO SUSTAINABLE forest management company Citicore Candlewick Bioenergy, Inc. (CCBI) has partnered with Agriterra to expand livelihood opportunities and improve the quality of lives of its host communities through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAid). According to CCBI, a renewable energy firm subsidiary of Citicore Power Inc. (Citicore), it aspires to become among the top ten world producers of sustainable biomass fuel chips through sustainable forestry and community upliftment that will generate long-term value for all stakeholders. Oliver Tan, Citicore president, said they are very grateful for this partnership with the USAid and Agriterra to help uplift the lives of communities where their projects are located.&nb...

Cayetano to voters: Vote on track record, not popularity

18Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Nation, News

Cayetano to voters: Vote on track record, not popularity

REP. ALLAN PETER CAYETANO FORMER House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday called on the voting public to base their choices on how well the 2022 election candidates had governed their jurisdictions, not on their popularity. “Tingnan mo y’ung lugar nila. Tingnan mo y’ung sakop nila o hawak nila. Interbyuhin mo ang mga taong nakapaligid sa kanila. At kapag nakita mong maganda, eh ‘di totoo,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters before the distribution of the P10,000 in cash aid per family in Quezon City under his Sampung Libong Pag-Asa program. (Look at their areas. Look at their jurisdiction. Talk to the people surrounding the candidate. If you see for yourself that what he/she had done was indeed good, then the candidate is truly competent.) “‘Pag nakita mong hindi,...

GOV. PADILLA DISAGREES WITH DIDIPIO FTAA

18Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

GOV. PADILLA DISAGREES WITH DIDIPIO FTAA

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO/THE MANILA TIMES BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (July 18)—Gov. Carlos Padilla was disappointed and disheartened by the renewal of the Didipio Mine's financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) for another 25 years. GOV. CARLOS M. PADILLA "It was indeed very lamentable and disheartening," Padilla said in a statement, adding the renewal, which happened despite their strong opposition to the re-opening of the mines, was "an act of injustice." On Wednesday, Australian OceanaGold Corp. confirmed the Philippine government renewed the Didipio Mines' FTAA in the upland town of Kasibu for an additional 25-year period beginning June 19, 2019. "We believe this is an act of injustice not only to our environment, but to our fellow Novo Vizcayanos, who had suffered...

MGB urges LGU to relocate illegal settlers at Runruno hazard zone

17Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

MGB urges LGU to relocate illegal settlers at Runruno hazard zone

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (July 17)—The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 has appealed to local officials to relocate any illegal settlers in hazard-prone areas near a mining area in Barangay (village) Runruno in Quezon town. FILE PHOTO. A landslide triggered by the inclement weather conditions in Runruno village in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya which claimed 10 lives during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses on November 11, 2020. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/COL. RANSER EVASCO In a letter, MGB Region 2 director Mario Ancheta urges Quezon town mayor Dolores Binwag and Runruno village chief John Bab-liing to resettle those who are staying put in a geohazard area to avoid a possible repeat of fortuitous even...

‘Save our Watershed’ campaign launched in Quirino

15Jul

By Alfred Del RosarioNo Comments

News, Quirino

‘Save our Watershed’ campaign launched in Quirino

BY MIKE DEL ROSARIO DIFFUN, Quirino (July 15)—The Provincial Government of Quirino has joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Forest Management Bureau (DENR-FMB) in launching the provincial campaign dubbed as "Save Our Watershed" or SOW. Quirino Vice Gov. Jojo Vaquilar joined the motorcade as a show of support to the "Save our Watershed" campaign of the national government. (From R-L: MENRO of Diffun, Vice Governor Jojo Vaquilar, PNP Chief of Diffun, Mike del Rosario, CENRO Sagun of Maddela, PENRO Marriam Frances Malana, FMP PPMO Jose Saguilot). PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE DEL ROSARIO Gov. Dakila Carlo “Dax” Cua said it is critical that the provincial government strengthen collaboration with various stakeholders and partners as this pandemic is testing everyone's r...

Philippine government renews Didipio FTAA—OceanaGold

14Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, World

Philippine government renews Didipio FTAA—OceanaGold

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO THE Philippine government has renewed the Didipio Mine Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) for an additional 25 years beginning June 19, 2019, according to the Australian OceanaGold Corporation. Australian OcenaGold's Didipio Mine in Kasibu town in Nueva Vizcaya. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO In a statement, OceanaGold said the renewed FTAA reflects similar financial terms and conditions while providing additional benefits to the regional communities and provinces hosting the operation. OceanaGold operates the Didipio Gold and Copper Project in the upland town of Kasibu in Nueva Vizcaya province. "We are pleased to confirm the renewal of the Didipio Mine's FTAA and thank the government for their endorsement and renewal. We have worked through the re...

IMEE: SUSPEND 12% VAT ON OIL PRODUCTS AMID PANDEMIC

14Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Nation, News

IMEE: SUSPEND 12% VAT ON OIL PRODUCTS AMID PANDEMIC

SENATOR Imee Marcos has called for a one-year suspension of the value-added tax (VAT) on oil products amid lingering economic difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, noted on Tuesday another price hike by oil companies that reached per liter increases of P1.15 for gasoline, P0.60 for diesel, and P0.65 for kerosene.Since January, fuel prices per liter have already increased by P13 for gasoline, P10 for diesel, and P9 for kerosene, Marcos said. SEN. IMEE MARCOS Marcos said suspending the 12 percent VAT on oil products will provide relief to various consumers other than just motorists. "Oil price hikes have a domino effect on agricultural products and other essentials. The higher costs will be passed on to the ordina...

FCF Minerals conducts environmental monitoring

12Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

FCF Minerals conducts environmental monitoring

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (July 12)—A British mining firm here has conducted over the weekend its environmental monitoring activities in Runruno village and neighboring communities encouraging the public to be part of safeguarding the environment. FCF Minerals Corp. conducts environmental monitoring in its host village of Runruno and neighboring communities in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya to ensure water quality both surface and groundwater. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO James Carmichael, FCF Minerals Corporation country manager, said the company is committed to the implementation of projects and programs in a showcase of care for the environment and the people of the host and neighboring communities. Runruno village in this town hosts the multibillion peso FCF Minerals Co...