IBA, ZAMBALES- The Sangguniaang Panlalawigan of Zambales heard the appeal of the residents of the Candelaria and Santa Cruz municipalities to finally cancel the permits of the 4 mining companies operating there.

STOPPING MINING OPERATIONS. Residents of Santa Cruz town in Zambales stop hauling trucks from getting out of a mining site. File photo by Randy Datu/ Rappler

The appeal was submitted by the group Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz, Zambales (CCOS) and other Peoples’ Organizations in the area who are protesting against the mining companies for allegedly causing harm to the environment and their livelihood.

In the “Ulat Sa Bayan,” where community members are given an opportunity to present their grievances during the hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, CCOS representatives showed how the destructions of their environment: roads, and the contamination of nickel to rivers, farmlands, fishponds, creeks and part of the shoreline, affects their livelihood.

CCOS identified the mining companies as Benguet Nickel Mines Inc. (BNMI), Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. (ZDMC), LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. (LAMI), and Eramen Minerals Inc. (EMI) which operated in the areas in Santa Cruz and Candelaria despite some controversy regarding the companies’ permits.

In the hearing, representatives of the mining companies denied knowledge of any destruction caused by their alleged operations on the area. They instead told the Sangguniang Panlalawigan they only performed hauling operations, for which they do have permits.

The companies also denied having opened new extraction activities or expansions.

It was revealed, however, that only BNMI has the Ore Transport Permit. EMI, LAMI and ZDMC-DCMI are still waiting for their permits to haul.

For these, Zambales Vice-Gov. Angel Magsaysay warned the mining operators that the provincial government of Zambales has the obligation to protect its citizens and its environment before anything else, especially mining.

“Mining should not only give destruction to the livelihood of the residents, they should be responsible for the environment and bring economic development, instead,” she said.

Magsaysay’s statement was supported by Zambales Governor Amor Deloso. Deloso reminded them that during his first state of the province address, he warned he would penalize or cancel the permits of mining operators found violating their permits’ stipulations.

“What we need are investors, like mining operators, to be responsible to the communities where their operations are based,” Deloso said.

“Mining is a very lucrative business, but what we need are those who will practice responsible mining who takes care of the environment, gives livelihood to the residents, and sponsor development projects for the community,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sangguniang Panlalawigan members expressed disappointment over the non-action and seeming blindness of officials of the affected barangays and municipalities who remain deaf to the plight of their constituents.

The officials assured that those who are responsible for the destruction of the environment and livelihood of the people will face the consequences.

SP members urged the CCOS to wait until the recommendations are submitted by the fact finding committee – composed by various government agencies tasked to conduct assessment of the effect of nickel mining here.

Source: www.rappler.com

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Subic Bay Freeport — “Together Brethen, Act as one” The San Marcelino Masonic lodge no. 380 and Teodoro R. Yangco Masonic lodge 351 in cooperation with the Bereau of Customs port of Subic conducted a Medical Mission, Mobile Chest Xray, and Feeding Program for the Pastulan Aetas in Hermosa Bataan. More than 200 aeta patients benefited the medical mission. The annual activity of the BOC employees is to share their blessings to the community. BOC Port of Subic District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan said. ” this is our way of giving back to the community of Subic Bay Freeport.”

Doctor Laceda examines a 90 year old woman during the medical mission conducted by the BOC port of Subic in Pastulan Village, Hermosa Bataan led by District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan, Deputy Collector for Assessment Duckie Ugay.

BOC port of Subic District Collector Atty. Mimel Talusan enjoyed to take selfie with the aeta children.

Aeta patients wait for their turn for the mobile Chest Xray examination.

Source: iorbitnews.com

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The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), led by its Executive Vice President Dr. Yuri Sato pose with Clark International Airport Corp. and Corporate Management.

Executive Vice President Dr. Yuri Sato (seated, 5th from left) pose with Clark International Airport Corp. Jepri Miranda, AVP for Legal Governance and Corporate Social Services (standing, 5th and 6th from left) with Sec. Raul Lambino (seated, 4th from left), Atty. Wilma Eisma (seated, 3rd from right), Chairperson and Administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and Linda Pamintuan (seated, 3rd from left)

(CIAC) officials headed by Engr. Darwin Cunanan, AVP for Strategic Development and Corporate Management, who also presented to the group updates in the development of Clark airport, and Atty. Jepri Miranda, AVP for Legal Governance and Corporate Social Services, along with Sec. Raul Lambino , administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and concurrent head of the Philippine Team of the Philippines Investment Promotion Plan (PIPP) of the Board of Investments (BOI), and other JETRO and PIPP representatives during the opening ceremonies of the four-day PIPP-BOI investment roadshow in Tokyo, Japan from October 1 to 4.

Also in photo are Atty. Wilma Eisma, Chairperson and Administrator of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and Linda Pamintuan, Executive Director of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD).

The annual PIPP-BOI investment promotion campaign aims to promote investment opportunities in the Philippines to specific targeted markets worldwide. CIAC officials are expected to meet with representatives of various airlines and aviation-related firms during the roadshow. Clark airport at present has 132 international and 90 domestic flights weekly. CIAC is currently in negotiations with JetStar Airways for the operation of Clark-Japan flights.

Source: iorbitnews.com

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MANILA, Philippines – The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is pushing through with its bid for a controlling stake in a 600-megawatt (MW) coal power plant in Masinloc, Zambales owned by AES Corporation.

Photo by: thelifeinapinkbackpack.wordpress.com

US electricity giant AES Corporation is selling its entire 51% interest in the Masinloc power facility, which it bought from the Philippine government for $930 million in 2008.

Meralco president Oscar Reyes said the utility firm will bid alone for the project.

“We are on our own in this process. It’s Meralco only. The process requires parties to bid on their own or with partner,” he said.

The sale of the two 300-MW units in the Masinloc facility is expected to happen before the year ends.

In 2014, AES sold its 41% stake in the Masinloc project to Thailand’s Electricity Generating PCL for $453 million. The remaining 8% stake is owned by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Asked what makes the AES facility attractive to Meralco, Reyes replied: “It has subcritical plants in operation while the third unit is being developed. They already have an asset.”

The utility firm is also engaged in power generation through its unit Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen). (READ: Singson leaves Light Rail Manila, moves to Meralco)

Possible opponents

Meralco will likely be competing with San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and Aboitiz Power Corporation for AES’ power assets.

“Yes, we are interested,” SMC president Ramon Ang earlier replied when asked about the Masinloc coal power plant.

Like Meralco, Ang said SMC prefers not to partner with other firms. “Just us,” he said.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz Power president Antonio Moraza earlier said there are as much as 20 foreign and local firms interested to join the auction.

“There are about 20, I think. We are interested. As long as [there are] power projects in the Philippines that [are] for sale, we will look. The interest is very wide, foreign, local, wide. I understand there [are] more than 15,” Moraza said.

Other than AES’ power assets, Meralco had told state-firm Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) that it is interested to take part in the country’s 1st liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

“We indicated to PNOC our interest [in] any development in LNG,” Reyes had said.

PNOC was tasked by the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop an integrated LNG hub with storage, liquefaction, regasification, and distribution facilities, as well as a reserve initial power plant capacity of 200 MW.

“We are looking at it. That’s clearly an option. We have expressed willingness to be part of either pipeline gas or LNG,” said Reyes.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the government is aiming to turn the Philippines into a hub for LNG, amid the expected depletion of natural gas from the Malampaya gas field in Palawan in less than a decade. Currently, around 3,500 MW of power plant capacity is dependent on the country’s sole natural gas source.

LNG is natural gas that has been converted into a liquid state for easier storage and transportation. Upon reaching its destination, LNG is regasified so it can be distributed through pipelines as natural gas.

Source: www.rappler.com

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Association of South East Asian Nations -Republic of Korea (ASEAN-ROK) Forest Cooperation (AFoCo) are planning to establish a forest regional training center in Candelaria, Zambales that will enhance the knowledge and skills of forest managers and peoples’ organizations (PO) in restoring and protecting the region’s forests and fight global warming and climate change.

photo by: rondabalita.news

Orlando Panganiban, head of the forest resources management division of the DENR-Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the ASEAN regional training center will serve as a demonstration area for the application of assisted natural regeneration (ANR) technology using the landscape approach to sustainable forest management and will benefit forest technicians, including members of the PO.

“The center will develop and promote a 30-hectare ANR demonstration area as a cost efficient way of regenerating the forest by enhancing the establishment of secondary forests from degraded grassland and shrub vegetation by protecting and nurturing the mother trees and their wildlings inherently present in the area,” he explained.

He pointed out that the objective of ANR is to accelerate, rather than replace, natural successional processes by removing or reducing barriers to natural forest regeneration such as soil degradation, competition with weedy species, and recurring disturbances like grass fire and grazing.

“In ANR, seedlings are, in particular, protected from undergrowth and extremely flammable plants such as cogon (Imperata cylindrical) and talahib (Saccharum spontaneum),” he noted

He added that as a protection effort, new trees are planted when needed or wanted in what is called enrichment planting.

According to DENR-Central Luzon Director Francisco Milla Jr., the training center is a big support to the DENR and the ASEAN member countries to further boost its reforestation effort.

“This will enable us to fast track the restoration of degraded forestland and watershed, and with ANR, forests grow faster than they would naturally,” he explained.

The AFoCo turned over to DENR P500,000 worth of equipment, including generators, fire fighting equipment, desktop computers, projectors and geographical positioning system units that will initially be used in the center to help improve the DENR’s reforestation efforts.

AFoCo was first proposed by Republic of Korea in June, 2009 to share their experiences and technologies with other Asian countries in the forest sector as a forest cooperation organization, which aims to promote forest restoration and rehabilitation and sustainable development in the Asian region.

It was formally established in November, 2011 after it was ratified by the 10 South East Asian nations, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

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