Press Release

July16, 2010

Koronodal City – SoCSKSARGEN Climate Action Now (SCAN) calls on the President Aquino (PNoy) to never compromise the welfare of the people, the environment and the future in its effort to find a “win-win” solution between SMI-XsTRATA’s Tampakan Copper Gold Project (TGCP) which plans to use an open pit mining method and the Local Government of South Cotabato who passed an ordinance banning open pit mining elsewhere in the province.

“The interest of the local community and the future of the environment should be of paramount concern and not of the few vested interests” said SCAN spokesperson Sr. Susan Bolanio, OND in reaction to the earlier statement of DENR chief Ramon Jesus P. Paje that they have to protect the (mining) investment.

PNoy early this week said he would strive to work out a compromise among concerned parties – on one hand, the South Cotabato LGU which provincial ordinance banning open pit mining is threatening the $5.2-billion TGCP, and SMI-Xstrata on the other who owns TGCP

The presidential pronouncement was viewed by Mr. Paje as a marching order to strike a deal by the end of July apparently to ‘protect’ SMI-XsTRATA’s interest. He announced there will be a meeting between the local government units and the industry.

“But why are they not involving the people” Bolanio asked adding that there have been a lot of community consultations conducted for the last 15 years before the code was finally passed.

“It should not only be the LGU and the company they should be meeting. They should talk to the people, go down to the communities. And the will of the people must prevail as the PNoy said” Bolanio said.

Bolanio also reacted to the President’s assurance that at the end of the day, “it will be the local community whose voice will be loudest because they will be the ones to suffer if a disaster happens.”

“The people have raised their voices aloud in the past for the local government to finally pass the ordinance, we will cry out loud even more to convince PNoy if that is what he want” Bolanio added.

Hilario Laplana Jr., an irrigation personnel and member of the SAVE SOCSARGEN Movement based in Tampakan agrees with Bolanio adding that “for us, the provincial environment code that bans open pit mining is very acceptable”.

Rep. Daisy A. Fuentes of South Cotabato signed the ordinance last June 29, a day before she ends her term as governor. Governor-elect Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr. on the other hand vowed to review the ban.

SMI-XsTRATA’s TGCP is touted to be the country’s biggest single investment at $5.2 billion. The company estimates the TGCP can yield 13.5 million metric tons of copper and 15.8 million ounces of gold.###

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