A cause-oriented group urged the government to permanently close down a large-scale mining project in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces which has not been in operation since 2008, “losing its legal eligibility to carry out its obligations under its Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) with the government.”

The Didipio Mining Project for gold and copper operated by Australian mining firm OceanaGold ceased operations in mid-2008 due to “lack in financial, technical, and managerial abilities,” the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) said.

In a letter dated Sept. 23, the LRC, a legal and policy research and advocacy institution, urged Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. to close down the mining project and revoke the FTAA issued to the mining firm.

According to LRC executive director Judy Pasimio, Atienza assured them in January that the DENR would takeover OceanaGold’s facility once the company failed to renew operations in six months.

“It is already way beyond the deadline given by Secretary Atienza. It’s already September and yet we haven’t heard any action from the DENR,” Pasimio said.

Pasimio said that under the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, FTAA holders must have the financial, technical, and managerial abilities to carry out mineral exploration and utilization on a large-scale mining operation.

FTAA may be entered into between a contractor and the Philippine government for the large-scale exploration, development and utilization of gold, copper, nickel, chromite, lead, zinc and other minerals except for cement raw materials, marble, granite, sand and gravel and construction aggregates.

“In truth, OceanaGold does not only lack the financial, technical and managerial abilities, but the moral grounding to continue its operation given its already long record of human rights abuses in the community,” Pasimio said.

“It is now imperative that DENR act on this as soon as possible to finally cease the spate of harassment and human rights abuses committed against the indigenous community in Didipio by the company,” she said.

LRC said the government must take the necessary steps to safeguard the indigenous peoples (IPs), communities, and natural resources of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces.

“It should likewise acknowledge its recklessness in entering into agreements with mining companies that hinges its investments mainly on financial speculation such as OceanaGold and reverse it's policy of aggressively pushing for large scale mining projects,” Pasimio said.