Nueva Vizcaya

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The provincial govenrment of Nueva Vizcaya led by Gov. Carlos Padilla has collaborated with renewable energy solutions provider SN Aboitiz Power Magat on an initiative to assist small business owners affected by the coronavirus disease 2019. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Renewable energy solutions provider SN Aboitiz Power Magat (SNAP-Magat) and the provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya have collaborated on an initiative to assist small business owners affected by Covid-19. Project PEACE, or "Provincial Economic Aid to COVID-affected Entrepreneurs," is funded by SNAP-Magat's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. The first batch of 36 beneficiaries received cash assistance of P5,000 to P10,000 each on July 7, 2021, during a short program led by Nueva Vizcaya Governor Carlos Padilla...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO FCF Minerals Corporation's "I plant for life" tree planting activity in Barangay Darubba in Quezo , Nueva Vizcaya. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya (July 7)—British firm FCF Minerals Corporation conducted an activity dubbed “I plant for life” which culminated with the planting of some 200 fruits trees in Barangay Darrubba in this town. FCF Minerals country manager James Carmichael said the event was part of a series of activities for the 2nd quarter of this year launched by the company’s Information, Education and Communication section of the Community Relations Office. Carmichael said a total of 200 guyabano seedlings were planted on the said barangay's multi-purpose hall grounds. A limited number of participants joined the activity due to the ...