Insights

Inquirer: Inconvenient truths

MANILA, Philippines - “Obviously, we are doing a lousy job of being stewards of the earth,” retired trial court judge Jesus V. Quitain said in exasperation. Since retiring, he has been active, among others, in environmental concerns. The rate so-called “development aggression” is scooping the remaining mineral resources of Mindanao has angered him the more.

Quitain is particularly upset at what is happening now in Davao Oriental, particularly in the towns of San Isidro and Gov. Generoso and the capital Mati City, which all lie along the coast of the rustic Pujada Bay. The three areas are the site of 17,0572-hectare nickel mining claim of multinational BHP Billiton and its Filipino-partner, Asiaticus Management Corp. (The two parties are now embroiled in a case against each other over control of the mining claim). [ read on]

Popularity: 19% [?]

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Disaster Waiting to Happen

The recent pronouncement of the local government of Mati that it cannot stop the entry of mining in Davao Oriental is nothing but a lame excuse and could be playing blind on the track record of the BHP Billiton.

If the local government is looking for a clean track record of any mining company that will operate in their area, then they are wrong in allowing the BHP Billiton to operate in the Hamiguitan mountain range, which is a declared protected area. (more…)

Popularity: 100% [?]

Tags: bhp, davao oriental, disaster, hamiguitan, mati, Mining, ok tedi, png, pujada

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Green groups call on bishops to reject Arroyo, mining policies

A day before the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines convene an emergency meeting Tuesday, green groups called on the bishops to “reject President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in light of her involvement in crafting and implementing the most environmentally-hazardous law of the land, the Mining Act of 1995″. (more…)

Popularity: 50% [?]

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Villagers, LGU say no to nickel processing plant

MATI, Davao Oriental – A multi-sectoral group from Barangay Macambol here is strongly opposing the proposed construction of the nickel processing plant in their village because it would not just displace but as well as it will destroy the livelihood of the people in the area.

Victor Aying, chair of the anti-mining group called Macambol Multi-Sectoral Alliance for Integral Development (MMSAID), said that once that the processing plant is in place, the waste would pollute and eventually destroy Pujada Bay. (more…)

Popularity: 82% [?]

Tags: bhp, hamiguitan, mati, nickel, pujada

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The X-Files of BHP Billiton

So that the public may know if who and what is BHP Billiton doing around the globe, we have gathered all the links we found on the internet regarding the environmental impacts of company’s operation. And these are just one of the reasons why we should not allow BHP Billiton to operate in Mati, Davao Oriental.

Yet even James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan have also campaigned against the world’s biggest miner. Just click on the headlines below and find out why. (more…)

Popularity: 74% [?]

Tags: bhp, environmental disasater, hollywood, james bond, mati, Mining, pujada

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