Mining firm, Benguet folks pitted over site legal rights

MANKAYAN, Benguet – An African mining firm and villagers are still pitted in a battle of wills on extraction of mineral resources in area which they claimed as legally theirs in this town.

           

Villagers opposing drilling operations of Goldfields subsidiary--  Far Southeast Gold Resources Inc. (FSGRI) said they would keep their guard up despite "initial victory” over the firm’s plan to operate in Madaymen last week.

 

The challenge remains for the people of Mankayan and “organized group” Save Mankayan Movement “to be more vigilant" considering "MPSA (Mineral Sharing Production Agreement) 001 still stands,”  said Abigail Bengwayan Anongos of the non-government Cordillera Peoples’ Alliance.

 

FSGRI has demobilized its drill rig after a year of “turbulence” with villagers and other opposition groups on its confirmation drilling, even as legally it has full rights by virtue of MPSA-001, which was approved by the government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB).

 

Anongossaid the MPSA of FSGRI is in the process of conversion to an FTAA (Financial Technical and Assistance Agreement) and the mining equipment will only be transferred to Barangay.Poblacion.

 

FSGRI has confirmed it is looking at possible locations for its rig in the town.

 

FSGRI spokesperson Marionne Molintas said the firm has full rights by virtue of Mineral Production Sharing Agreement-001 as approved by the government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

 

“FSGRI has the full legal right to drill at the Madaymen site and all other sites previously approved by the government, the firm said while committing to strengthen our host communities through projects aimed at improved education, employment, health, livelihood and infrastructure.”

 

Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, majority shareholder of FSGRI, claims legal ownership of Madaymen site as according to KnestorGodino, vice president of LCMC, the land was bought several decades ago from land owners.

 

The protests and pickets at the now demobilized drilling site are violations of FSGRI and LCMC’s legal rights, said Molintas.

 

LCMC reportedly is bent on pursuing criminal and civil cases against picketers at the Madaymensite, while in the meantime, FSGRI is conducting geotechnical drilling at other sites in Mankayan.

 

Affected residents and community leaders in these areas “have welcomed our operations as evidenced by various memoranda of understanding and they have started to enjoy the concomitant benefits,” Molintas said.

 

FSGRI maintains it has the full legal right to drill at the Madaymen site and all other sites previously approved by the government.

 

In November, the South African government indicated that it remains interested in its stake in Benguet gold mining as South African Deputy Minister of Minerals Godfrey Oliphant spoke at the 59th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference (ANMSEC) in Baguio City.

 

South African Ambassador Agnes Nyamande-Pitso also attended the conference.