More than 2,000 stand to lose in Bokod mining

BOKOD, Benguet (May 9) — More than 2000 residents would be affected by mining operations once three prospective mining companies find out there is enough gold and other precious metals for commercial ventures, according to local officials of three Bokod barangays.

The field-based investigation team of the Benguet National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) disclosed the proposed exploration activities would take place in some sitios of barangays Poblacion, Bobok-Bisal and Pito. These barangays are predominantly inhabited by Ibaloys. A handful are Kankanaeys, especially in Pito, and still a few are of Kalanguya ethnicity.

All the five sitios of Bobok-Bisal are reportedly inside the 486-hectare area identified in the Exploration Permit Application (ExPA-084) filed by Columbus Minerals. Bobok-Bisal’s 1,222 population is distributed in five main sitios namely, Bobok (194); Bisal-Benneng (393); Kawal-Chep-ol (285); Obbong (257); and Libcong (93).

All of Barangay Pito and some Poblacion sitios namely Bolo-Mangagew-Makokok (305); and Cobabeng (343) are most likely included in the 972 hectares applied for by Magellan Metals, according to residents who were temporarily employed when the exploration work started in late March.

Also among those reportedly covered by the exploration permit application are Mount Bekas, Palanas Creek, Cobabeng Ridge and Maidit Hill.

Magellan has reportedly merged with Columbus in its exploration work in Bokod as residents claim they did not hear about Columbus. They know of another company, Al Magan Mining Exploration Corporation, to have filed another exploration permit for some 1,377 hectares, also in Bokod. Magellan’s ExPA-083 used to be from another mining exploration company, ExPA-081 of the Bolo Mineral Resource headed by one Pedrito Condeno of Quezon City. The exploration permit application of Al Magan is now ExPA-81.

Residents of Bolo, mostly Ibaloys, resettled in Sitio Cobabeng after the 1990 earthquake wrought havoc on their residential lots and rice fields. According to George Suanding, the only living sibling of Bantas Suanding, original land claimant of Cobabeng, there were only 32 families who came from Bolo in 1990. At present, some 72 families are in the 146-hectare Bantas Suanding estate.

A three-room elementary school caters to less than a hundred pupils. Four teachers handle two classes each.

Residents engage themselves in farming and gold-panning along the Bolo River. “We go down to the river daily lest we die of hunger,” Martha Paterno, 49, of Sitio Cobabeng told Nordis. She adds that if the mining company would proceed with its operations, it would displace many of them from their livelihood sources.

Josephine Tino, 45, said she heard about a similar exploration in Nueva Vizcaya, where people also opposed the entry of equipment. She is apprehensive the mining companies have taken samples from their gold-panning areas down the Bolo River.

The regional mines and geo-sciences bureau has not issued any permit to any mining exploration, according to Dir. Neoman dela Cruz. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS