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BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (August 18)—Seven big community-based cooperatives, people’s organizations, local businesses and employees here called on the local government unit to support the renewal of the Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) of OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI). These community groups responded to a Barangay Didipio council’s resolution, which asked President Rodrigo Duterte, through the Office of the Mayor here, to deny the renewal application of the Australian mining company. These groups are the Didipio Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DCMPC), Didipio Community Development Corporation (DiCorp), Didipio Producers Cooperative (Dipco), Didipio Mine Employees Association (DMEA), Pun-o-o’haan-hi-kiphodan (Union) and Employees Al...

BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 4)—The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has allowed the operations of local transportation in the province through the e-jeeps plying the national highway under a Point-to-Point (P2P) scheme. eJEEPS. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has allowed the operation of the e-jeeps in Nueva Vizcaya with the Modified General Community Quarantine status of the province. The e-jeeps operate under the Point to Point route scheme. PHOTO BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO Board Member Flodemonte Gerdan, chairman of the Provincial Board's Committee on Transportation said the operation of the e-jeeps owned by the First Nueva Vizcaya Travellers Transport Cooperative (FNVTTC) is now in operation ...

BY JIMBO OWEN B. GULLE, Manila Standard MEMBERS of a women’s vegetable farmers’ association in Nueva Vizcaya should have discussed their problems within their group instead of filing estafa complaints with the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office, the provincial board member in the center of their dispute said. In an email interview with the Standard, Provincial Board Member Roland Carub said that as founder of TIBIK (Timpuyog Ti Babbalasang Idi Kalman, or Association of Ladies in an Earlier Season in Ilocano) in the province, he wished the members of the group’s chapters in Ambaguio and Villaverde towns would have discussed their problems among themselves or approached him for guidance. Twenty-two women—16 from TIBIK Ambaguio and six from TIBIK Villaverde—are accusing Carub and office...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (July 15)—Gov. Carlos Padilla has called for the pullout of the Australian -owned OceanaGold Philippines Inc. from the province for failure to get a renewal of its license to operate that expired a year ago. Padilla said the call was because of a recent decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) 16th Division denying OceanaGold’s petition in connection with its claim that it can continue to operate the Didipio mine in Kasibu town, pending renewal of its financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA). “In view of such development, we now strongly demand the complete pullout of OceanaGold from the area,” he added. OceanaGold’s 25-year FTAA became effective on June 20, 1994 and that its initial term expired on June 20, 2019. But t...