Tribal chiefs, stakeholders visit CCC mines in Toledo

Lutopan Open Pit  - Local entrepreneur Mark Henson Villareal and Panamin Brgy. Capt. Primo Manambay examine a replica of the processing plants and mine site that originally open cast when Atlast Mining started in 1955. It was converted into an underground mine in mid-1960 and again reverted its open pit operation in 2008 when Carmen Copper Corporation revived the Toledo Copper Mine. Measuring 1, 852 meters in length and 1, 200 in width, the pit is the main source of ore fed to the mill.  (Museo Toledo).

'Hard' truck – (L-R) Noel Ramos of Malungon town's General Services Office, Assessor's head Luz Mejorada, Municipal Treasurer Nympha Figueroa, MSWDO Mildred Dela Cuesta, Admin Officer Bennie Llego and MENRO Bert Allaga gestures to a million-worth tire of a Komatsu carrier truck during the Sagittarius Mines-facilitated educational tour in Carmen Copper Corporation, Toledo City.

'Giant’ Komatsu – (3^rd – Left) Mayor Reynaldo ‘Bong’ Constantino of Malungon town in Sarangani, government employees and SMI staff Ann Zee Luz Barroso-Laguerder (3^rd-R) pose on bridge of a P45 million-worth 100-tonner Komatsu carrier truck inside Carmen Copper Corporation motor pool during the 4-day mine visit (January 30-02 February 2013) facilitated by Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, in Toledo City, Cebu Province. For more information, please visit malungon.blogspot.com (Isagani Palma-MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE).

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MALUNGON, Sarangani – SOME 49 stakeholders compose of tribal chieftains, local government officials, LGU personnel and members of the Association of the Barangay Captains undergone a 4-day  mine visit in Carmen Copper Corporation, Toledo City through the initiative of Sagittarius Mines Incorporated.  

Lauro Domondon Jr., SMI’s stakeholder education supervisor, said the educational tour was aimed at bringing stakeholders to different operating mine sites in the country to personally evaluate and observe the advantageous effects of responsible mining. 

 “This is SMI’s key initiative under its Stakeholders Education Program which aims stakeholders to avail firsthand information and knowledge on how responsible mining has able to support the local government in its social development programs such infrastructure development, access to education and health facilities and services, safeguarding of cultural values, institutional capacity building, and enterprise development,” Domondon explained. 

  

Participants led by Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino left General Santos City Wednesday (January 30-02 February) together with Sagittarius Mines Inc. community relations project manager JoJo Josol, staff Ann Zee Luz Barroso-Laguerder, and a three-man SMI stakeholder education program team.

 

The visit was arranged to provide stakeholders with better understanding on the different mining technologies that SMI will adopt in its proposed operation in Tampakan, South Cotabato. 

             Stakeholder-participants to the Sagittarius Mines-initiated 4-day study tour lead by SMI community relations project manager JoJo Josol and Malungon municipal Mayor Bong Constantino, prepares to go airborne on board Air Philippines flight to Mactan, Cebu City.

Mayor Constantino grins as the team prepares to leave GSC International Airport. 

                SMISEPT staff Elizabeth Lencio tags on as lensman Michael Ocampo push a cart of documentation gears and luggage for boarding. Left side is Malungon LGU admin officer, Bennie Llego. 

Upon arrival in Cebu City, tour participants were billeted at Holiday Pryce Plaza, where they were asked to fill up a questionnaire purposely to determine, how far they are familiar about mining.  

Photo shows stakeholders from Malungon, Sarangani during arrival at Mactan International Airport in Cebu City. From left are LGU Assessor's head Luz Mejorada, Admin Officer Bennie Llego, Municipal Treasurer Nympha Figueroa, MSWDO Mildred Dela Cuesta, GSO Noel Ramos and some barangay captains with Agri-Flagship coordinator, Nelson Sadang.

Welcome to Cebu – Mayor Constantino gestures for a memento shot with tour participants on a facade of a welcome signage in the 'queen city of the south’ shortly after arrival in Mactan International Airport.
 

The following day (January 31, 2013), the team proceeded to Carmen Copper Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining Development Corporation (Atlas) in Toledo City. Stakeholders were given time to travel around the processing plant where stages of dry crushing and wet grinding are being completed to reduce the ore to its liberation size, and further processing before shipment. 

 Last year, the Carmen concentrator reportedly milled 12, 236, 317 DMT of copper ore or an average milling rate of 33, 391 DMT per day. The corresponding copper concentrate produced totaled 96, 286 DMT containing 58.245 million pounds of copper, 8, 465 ounces of gold and 81, 115 oz of silver.

Aide memoire – Lauro Domondon (center), SMI stakeholder education supervisor, brief participants about Carmen Copper Corporation Thursday (January 31, 2013), while on trip to Toledo City.

A safety maintenance personnel stress the required rules to observe inside the mining premises.

Mayor Bong Constantino (center) and the team puts on their headgear before interring the copper mine processing plants.

             Carmen Copper Corporation has an operating agreement with Atlas and it has exclusive operating rights over the in-situ mineral resources and ore reserves of Carmen, Lutupan and Biga Mineral deposits, collectively known as Toledo Copper Mine Complex covering 1, 674 hectares.

Lutopan Open Pit - Tribal chieftains of Malungon, Sarangani pose for memento with Mayor Bong Constantino (center) during a study tour at the Carmen Copper Corporation’s Lutopan open pit which measures 1.70 kilometers wide and 2.10 km in length. The pit is the main source of ore fed to the mill. For more information, please visit malungon.blogspot.com (Isagani Palma-MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE)

 This is part of the Atlas mineral property covering 5, 218 hectares, consisting of 3, 284.48 Atlas-owned mining claims and 1, 934 hectares of mining claims belonging to claim-owners who have valid operating agreements with Atlas. The mining firm, which is located at the western slope of a central highland in the middle of the province, restarted the Toledo mining operation in September 2007. It is situated 17 road kilometers from Toledo City, and about 45 road kilometers from Cebu.

ROCK breaker – Datal Batong Brgy. Captain Pido Saldivia gestures with a dummy mine driller inside the Toledo City Museum in Cebu Province.

Before the participants return in Sarangani via General Santos City, Sagittarius Mines has gain lucid changes from the previous outlooks of most members of the traveling team. Tribal leaders during the culmination night gathering in Days Hotel, Toledo City, have stressed various affirmative reaction in favor of responsible mining, as to what it is being proposed by SMI in South Cotabato.

Barefooted, Blaan chief has spoken - Photo shows Tribal chieftain Galingo Caloma, a longtime anti-mining advocate and guardian of The School of Home and Living Tradition in Lamlifew Village, as he spoke in  favor of responsible mining during the culmination night of the 4-day visit in Cebu.

Light moment at Days Hotel in Toledo.

An affiliate of the Philippine-based Xstrata Copper, Sagittarius Mines Inc. is committed to developing the Tampakan Project that is located on the Southern Philippine Island of Mindanao, approximately 40 Kilometers north of General Santos City.

A replica of Lotupan Open Pit

 (NOTE Stories during the Toledo City Hall and Museo Toledo visit soon to follow)