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Cantilan Town Fiesta Celebration 2010

July 28, 2010

For more information about this year’s fiesta. Visit the official website of the Cantilan Town Fiesta Celebration 2010
 
http://www.cantilanfiesta2010.webs.com/
 

Posted by kantilang at 11:41 pm | permalink | comments[2]

Surigao del Sur town denies permit to mining firm

July 19, 2010

By Tito N. Fiel

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: July 16, 2010


CANTILAN, Surigao del Sur, Philippines—Mayor Genito Guardo has denied the application of a mining company to extract nickel ore from this town, citing the need to protect the environment from possible destruction.

Guardo said he sent a letter to the company, named Marcventures and owned by Mindanao businessmen Mario Vijungco and Dy Chi Hing, on Thursday, informing its management of the decision to reject its mining permit application.

He said he would rather protect the environment than risk it in exchange for the economic benefits the mining operation would bring to the town.

Earlier, officials of this town also expressed dismay at Marcventures’ activities even if it had yet to acquire a permit.

“I and other officials, along with military and police representatives inspected the mining site and found out the company had already started extracting minerals even if it had no permit,” Guardo said.

But he clarified that the rejection of the mining permit was mainly based on the resolution of the town council, which expressed opposition to mining activities here.

Carl Ceasar Rebuta, project development officer of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center based in Cagayan de Oro City, said they were elated by the decision of officials to bar mining activities in the town.

Rebuta said anti-mining advocates had repeatedly warned that mining activities would compromise the watershed areas of the town.

Marcventures, which holds a mineral production sharing agreement covering 4,799 hectares here, had said it planned to extract 800,000 metric tons of nickel per year through the open-pit system.

But Guardo said he believes that the local government of Cantilan has enough power to bar Marcventures from operating despite its being an MPSA holder.

Posted by kantilang at 5:44 pm | permalink | comments[7]