Ruth Megirian, AusAid program officer for East Timor and Philippines, and Graham Butt, GS executive officer, geologic survey of New South Wales Department of Primary Industries are in the Philippines to complete the scoping work this month.

Scoping includes determination of regulatory requirements for the program, political, environment, and security concerns, and community response to the project.

Before committing to the grant itself, AusAid will present result this April of the scoping work before the Australian Parliament, the body that will approve the grant which the Philippines expects to receive before the end of the year.

Australia-based mining firm Climax Arimco Mining Ltd. (CAML) expressed optimism that the grant will not only benefit the country’s mining sector but also agriculture, water resources, forestry and environment that depend extensively on geophysical survey for land suitability.

A top advantage from an aeromagnetic survey is its accuracy which will be of immense aid to the development of the rural areas.

"This is the most acceptable technology in the mineral industry used in countries with most advanced (geophysical survey) technology. This is what we did when we discovered our Didipio (copper-gold) project. It will also help us identifying suitable lands for agriculture and developing water and natural resources," said Ramoncito P. Gozar, CAML central liaison manager, in an interview.

Aeromagnetic survey involves photographic mapping of the soil, its resources underneath, and its geophysical properties from machines mounted on an aircraft at a height of 40 to 100 meter distance from the ground.

Once implemented, the project will also be of use to the country in geo-hazard mapping, and the data will be made available to the public, even to mining companies which no longer have to spend for identifying mineral resources.