The Valley Journal

FCF Minerals promotes safety, health in workplace

2Sep

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

FCF Minerals promotes safety, health in workplace

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO IN a move to continuously promote safety and health, FCF Minerals Corp. in Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya has started a program that emphasizes everyone’s wellbeing in the workplace. Led by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) department, FCF Minerals has developed the Employee Safety Spotlight (ESS) program to encourage and give recognition to employees who have shown exemplary efforts in promoting safety and health in their workplace in the mines. “We believe that giving the employees a platform to be heard while recognizing their efforts can contribute in the creation of a just, safe and healthy culture in the workplace,” according to the OHS department. Under the ESS program, the first employee to be recognized was Cristine Rasp...

FCF Minerals to help conserve indigenous forest tree species

7Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

FCF Minerals to help conserve indigenous forest tree species

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 2 and British firm FCF Minerals Corp. in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya sign a pact to establish a provincial arboretum that will house endemic and indigenous forest tree species. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO ARITAO, Nueva Vizcaya (August 7)—A pact to conserve and boost the reproduction of native plant species in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) was forged between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and a London-based mining firm FCF Minerals Corp. The memorandum of agreement (MoA) was signed last July 30 at the Community Environment and Natural Resources in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya for the establishment of an arboretum in the province, according to Corie Corpuz, DENR-Region 2 informa...

DoH traces contacts of first Delta variant case in Region 2

6Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

Covid-19, News, Nueva Vizcaya

DoH traces contacts of first Delta variant case in Region 2

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: The Department of Health in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) said contact tracing is being conducted in connection with the first recorded Delta variant positive coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) case, according to a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Friday. “The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu) together with the local government of Nueva Vizcaya is conducting contact tracing to identify all people that the Covid-19 patient has come in contact with,” the DoH Region 2 said. The first recorded Covid-19 Delta variant in Region 2 particularly in Barangay Bagahabag in Solano town (Nueva Vizcaya) was confirmed by the DoH, University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center (UP-PGC) and UP-National Institute of Health or UP-NIH in i...

LGU raises P45M for resettlement of illegal small-scale miners, settlers

4Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

LGU raises P45M for resettlement of illegal small-scale miners, settlers

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO PHOTO shows the geohazard-declared Sitio Balcony in Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya where most of the settlers conduct illegal small scale mining. VALLEY JOURNAL PHOTO QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (August 4)—An initial amount of P45.32 million was allotted for the establishment of a resettlement area for the displaced illegal small-scale miners and settlers in the gold-rich upland subvillages of Barangay Runruno. Mayor Dolores Binwag said the amount of P40 million will come from the National Housing Authority which is expected to be transferred to the local government unit (LGU) account upon completion of all the requirements. Binwag said the Quezon LGU has already purchased a two-hectare land amounting to P2.4 million for the 74 prequalified house...

MGB, NBI take down illegal ball mills in gold deposit-rich NVizcaya village

1Aug

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

MGB, NBI take down illegal ball mills in gold deposit-rich NVizcaya village

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO THREE truckloads of illegal ballmill machines and equipment used by small scale miners were dismantled in Sitio Compound in the geohazard-declared Runruno village in Quezon town, Nueva Vizcaya. PHOTO BY VICTOR MARTIN QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (August 1)—The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) has dismantled and confiscated ball mill machines used in extracting minerals in a gold deposit-rich upland village here. Lawyer Gelacio Bongat, NBI Region 2 director, said the bureau was deputized by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to stop illegal mining activities in the region, particularly in Sitio Balcony, Barangay Runruno. As the primary government agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the MGB is re...

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...

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...

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...

DENR, NVizcaya govt to renew co-management of forest reserve

12Jul

By Leander DomingoNo Comments

News, Nueva Vizcaya

DENR, NVizcaya govt to renew co-management of forest reserve

BY CORIE CORPUZ, DENR-Region 2 The Steering Committee for the Lower Magat Forest Reserve (LMFR) in Cagayan Valley has pushed for the renewal of the co-management agreement between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya. In 1998, the DENR and the provincial government entered into a 25-year co-management agreement to jointly allocate, protect, develop and manage the forest reserve. Amended in 2004, the memorandum of agreement (MOA) is valid until 2023 and renewable for another 25 years. During its meeting on July 9, the Steering Committee (SC) unanimously recommended the renewal of the MOA and adopted the proposed amendment by the DENR. The committee is chaired by Gov. Carlos Padilla and co-chaired by DENR R...