An Australian mining company, whose present exploration project in a remote village here has been met with opposition by environmentalist groups, is eyeing another exploration area.
Officials of Royalco Philippines, heartened by the positive feedback of villagers in the vicinity of Yabbi and other upland villages in Dupax del Norte town, said their pending application with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau here is for at least 3,000 hectares in the said village.
This is part of a bigger application for some 16,000 hectares that include parts of Muta in Kasibu town and Nagtipunan town.
The firms officials said that, despite the economic gloom in the industry worldwide, they saw the potential of the Yabbi area, originally intended to be just an alternative gateway to its exploration project in the Pao-Kakiduguen area of eastern Kasibu town after anti-mining protesters blocked off the main way through Barangay Pacquet, also in Kasibu town.
Royalco officials say they had applied for the exploration permit in the area using their subsidiary, Buena Suerte Mining.
It may be recalled that the firms original gold and copper exploration project in Pao-Kakiduguen became unavailable after anti-mining protesters barred the entry of the firms exploration equipment on the way to the site.
As of now, while we are waiting for the approval of the exploration permit, we have pledged to help the upland barangays of Dupax del Norte in several projects like the repair and maintenance of village roads, said Gemma Talapi of Royalcos community development affairs office, saying this was mostly given upon request.
Tino Sanchez, village chief of Belance and concurrent municipal federation chair of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Dupax del Norte, also expressed pleasure upon learning of the commitments made by the firm regarding the various projects in the affected upland barangays of Yabbi, Belance, Binwangan, Bitnong, Macabenga and Oyao.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau, according to Joey Ayson, Royalcos country manager, expect more projects for the said communities upon the approval of the exploration permit.
http://www.yehey.com/news/Article.aspx?id=242044
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