Itogon miners barricade Acupan anew 06-04-30

	NORDIS WEEKLY April 30, 2006
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Itogon miners barricade Acupan anew
ITOGON, Benguet (April 22) — The entry of two local mining contractors prompted small scale miners from 11 sitios of Barangay Virac here to put up a human barricade anew at the portal of the Level 1500 of the former Acupan mines to prevent contract miners from mining the said site. The first human barricades set up in August 2002 succeeded in barring contract miners from L1500 in Benguet Corporation’s (BC) partnership mining scheme. In a petition for the issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction filed earlier with the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB-CAR), the small scale miners represented by the Acupan Upper Camps Community Livelihood Association (ACUCCLA) reiterated their objection to the operation of L1500 saying it is no longer feasible for any mining activity. Earlier, as a result of the year-long barricades in 2002 and 2003, the DENR-MGB-CAR ruled that the said level is a “no mining zone” because of its proximity to the surface where 11 sitios peopled by former BC corporate miners have been established. According to Rogelio Adangla, a former mine worker, BC closed down Acupan and Balatoc mines in 1992 and since the turn of the millennium opened its mining sites to small scale miners in a partnership mining scheme where small scale mining teams enter into a 60-40 sharing contract with the mining company. He said apart from its milling and gold recovery plants which it rents out to contract miners, BC maintains no other facility in the mine site. “That makes the work in the tunnels dangerous and uncontrolled,” Adangla claims, adding that the former tunnels have long been abandoned; no electricity and reinforcement timbering are maintained. “Miners tend to get as much ore as there are without considering the dangers it poses on the surface,” Adangla said. DENR-MGB-CAR dispatched a team to investigate on the alleged entry of contractors Ben Macliing and Susan Tongalag in the “no mining zone” as earlier identified and are expected to come out with findings next week, according to MGB’s Engr. Sidney Lalwet. He said a surface projection of the no mining zone is also being done as preparations for negotiations are underway. The human barricade is still going as of press time. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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	NORDIS WEEKLY April 30, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Itogon miners barricade Acupan anew
ITOGON, Benguet (April 22) — The entry of two local mining contractors prompted small scale miners from 11 sitios of Barangay Virac here to put up a human barricade anew at the portal of the Level 1500 of the former Acupan mines to prevent contract miners from mining the said site. The first human barricades set up in August 2002 succeeded in barring contract miners from L1500 in Benguet Corporation’s (BC) partnership mining scheme. In a petition for the issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction filed earlier with the regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB-CAR), the small scale miners represented by the Acupan Upper Camps Community Livelihood Association (ACUCCLA) reiterated their objection to the operation of L1500 saying it is no longer feasible for any mining activity. Earlier, as a result of the year-long barricades in 2002 and 2003, the DENR-MGB-CAR ruled that the said level is a “no mining zone” because of its proximity to the surface where 11 sitios peopled by former BC corporate miners have been established. According to Rogelio Adangla, a former mine worker, BC closed down Acupan and Balatoc mines in 1992 and since the turn of the millennium opened its mining sites to small scale miners in a partnership mining scheme where small scale mining teams enter into a 60-40 sharing contract with the mining company. He said apart from its milling and gold recovery plants which it rents out to contract miners, BC maintains no other facility in the mine site. “That makes the work in the tunnels dangerous and uncontrolled,” Adangla claims, adding that the former tunnels have long been abandoned; no electricity and reinforcement timbering are maintained. “Miners tend to get as much ore as there are without considering the dangers it poses on the surface,” Adangla said. DENR-MGB-CAR dispatched a team to investigate on the alleged entry of contractors Ben Macliing and Susan Tongalag in the “no mining zone” as earlier identified and are expected to come out with findings next week, according to MGB’s Engr. Sidney Lalwet. He said a surface projection of the no mining zone is also being done as preparations for negotiations are underway. The human barricade is still going as of press time. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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