Phl eyed as military power with P80B army camp gold

By Mar T. Supnad

The Philippines can become a top military power in Asia by simply utilizing billions of gold deposits at the Fort Ramon Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija, a top military general said.

            

With this, bully countries like China who encroach on Philippine territory would think twice before doing so, said Maj. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., new commander of the Northern Luzon Command said.

Experts, he added, had proven volume of gold deposits and minerals in the reservation worth P80 billion that can be tapped by government for military modernization programs.

          

“We are now guarding the area to prevent other large scale miners from illegally retrieving the gold mines worth billions of pesos that belonged to the government,” Catapang told this reporter at the Nolcom headquarters in Tarlac.

            

The three-star general said government can retrieve gold deposits by tapping experts considering three  big groups had already relayed to him their findings of gold deposits in the reservation.

           

The FMRR was created by Presidential Proclamation 237 dated 19, 1955 stipulating 44,970 hectares of land to cover it. 

It is site of containment area, training circuit, Kalinga sa Kawal off-based housing for military personnel, Jathropa plantation, National Training Center (Balikatan area), and the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

He said that he will discuss the matter with the Defense department so the government can utilize  the rich mining deposit.

“Magiging military super power tayo kapag nagami tnatin tong kayamanan na ito at di na tayo tatakut-takutin pa ng katabi nating bansa na umaagaw sa ating isla,” he said.  

            

He said that the government will spend nothing on the proposed mining operations since it can tap a group of miners interested in mining operations. “Royalty lang ang kukunin ng pamahalaan natin, malaking halaga ang makukuhang pamahalaan, then gagamitin na natin ito sa pagbiling military hardware,” added the general.           

            

The Nolcom chief said he will propose contracting experts, to President Aquino and Defense secretary VoltairGazmin for the digging of the gold and mineral deposits inside FMMR.

            

“The billions of pesos worth of mineral and gold deposits here can then be used for our military modernization programs. It would be a big help to the government and, military and police,” Catapang said.