Delegates from the European Union (EU), along with representatives from the DTI-Bureau of International Trade Relations and DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), visited Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTN) and Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) in Bataraza, Palawan on Saturday, January 28, as part of EU-General Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+) Monitoring Mission.
The visitors, which include Nilkos Zaimis (DC Trade), Walter Van Andreas Rossi, Andreas Julin, Thomas Weirsing Guus Houttuin, Anna Vukosavljevic (Philippines), Jose Antonio Buencamino (DTI-PTIC Brussels), Jollan Margaret Llaneza (DTI) and Percival Ladub (DENR-MGB MIMAROPA), were welcomed by CBNC’s Isao Nishikawa and RTN’s Rodolfo Campos.
According to Ernesto Llacuna, External Affairs Consultant for CBNC, based on the communication letter from DENR-MGB, the purpose of the visit was to evaluate the country’s compliance to the 27 International Convention on Human Rights, Labor, Environmental Protection and Good Governance, as identified in the program.
The group visited some of the company’s ‘Processes and Environmental Programs’, such as the rehabilitation of CBNC’s decommissioned tailings dam. They also went to see Gawad Kalinga’s site in the area.
Aside from this site visits, a dialogue with officials from the local government, along with some of the community’s IPs and labor groups, was also conducted. Llacuna said among the issues discussed were employee benefits, readiness of the community after the mine and the sustainability of projects being implemented, education of IPs, recovery of iron ore from decommissioned tailings dam, monitoring of government agencies, and issues confronted by labor unions, among others.
“We have always been transparent in terms of operation and social programs, kaya welcome sila sa Rio Tuba,” Llacuna added.
Santos, Catherine. (Jan. 2017). “ EU, PH gov’t reps visit Rio Tuba mine in Palawan” Palawan News. Retrieved 31 Jan. 2017 from http://palawan-news.com/eu-ph-govt-reps-visit-rio-...
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