IBALANGIBOG SA BILOG NA MUNDO, ORAGON AN BICOLANO! KAYA TA AN RESPONSABLENG PAGMIMINA SA RAPU-RAPU!

THE ������������������������ NEWSWEEK

VOL. 1 NO. 11 AN INTRA-COMPANY OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RAPU-RAPU POLYMETALLIC PROJECT AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

SISTERS OF CHARITY VISIT MINE AND

DIALOGUE WITH PAGCOLBON RESIDENTS

PULANG BUYA REHABILITATION PROJECT WINS JUNIOR CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

���������������������� “...Inasmuch as private sector participation is en-couraged, mining companies, quarries and cement plants in your area of jurisdiction can be invited to participate” Horacio Ramos, National Director of MGB. This directive was taken to heart by RRPI/RRMI employees who participated in the “Green Philip-

pine Highways” project of the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. On the morning of August 25, 2006, they went to baran-gay Homapon, Albay and planted pili and mahogany trees with other mining, quarrying, and cement companies as well as schools, hospitals, and other government agencies. Heading the group was Environment Manager Carmelita Pacis with Cecille Calleja, VP for Corporate Affairs and Joey Cubias, VP for Industrial and Commu-nity Relations. The DENR coordinated the project with companies and the respective LGUs.

As part of this event , RRPI/RRMI also do-nated 1,100 ma-hogany seedlings grown in the com-pany’s nursery to the Province and to the City of Sor-sogon.

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At the 26th Junior Chamber International (JCI) Southern Luzon Area Conference held last September 3, 2006 in Paradiso Terrestre, Molino, Bacoor, JCI Legaspi was awarded Best Environmental Pro-tection Project” and the “Best Over All Community Project for Southern Luzon” for the Pulang Buya Environmental Project in the recent Junior Chamber International Awarding Ceremonies. This project, part of RRPI/RRMI’s environmental and coastal manage-ment efforts was launched last May 6, 2006 in Rawis, Legaspi City. The activity was participated by RRPI/RRMI personnel including

Corporate Secretary Atty. Sarge Sarmiento, Environmental Consultant John Carlo Tria, Safety Officer Melvin Alonzo, and liaison officer Melanie Valenciano, the Jaycees Philippines-Legaspi, The Rotary Club of Legazpi Central, the Philippine Navy

Southern Luzon Command, and the Bicol Scuba Divers’ Foun-dation, Inc. (BSDFI). The project called for the collec-tion of the

Crown of Thorns, a starfish that has infested Pulang Buya, a coral reef located off the shores of Rawis in the Albay Gulf. According to Atty. Sarmiento, the activity was “the start of a part-nership with local organizations to protect and enhance the Albay Gulf. Being located also in the Gulf, our company wants to make sure that its ecosystem remains healthy, and to keep the fish abun-dance for the benefit of the fishermen and the public.” He added that the company recognizes the potential of the Gulf as a scuba diving destination … “spurring tourism will also build businesses which will employ people while at the same time protect the Albay Gulf.” The company hopes to make this a continuing activity and to in-clude the coral reefs around Rapu-Rapu and Sorsogon. Other fol-low-up projects would be the mapping out of dive-sites around the Albay Gulf to encourage scuba divers locally and internationally to consider the Province as an eco-tourism area.

The current president of the JCI Legaspi is Vice-Mayor Rico Sala-zar and the project chair-man is Martin Reynoso.

Residents of the Pagcolbon Resettlement were treated to a visit and a dialogue with the Sri Lankan Sisters of Charity residing in San Roque, Legaspi: Sister Swarma, Sister Marie de Loreto, and Sister Calixta on August 28, 2006 at the Pagcolbon Chapel. The residents, mostly women and children, asked the nuns for assis-tance on the following: 1. holy mass to be said at the Chapel, 2. catechesis, and 3. livelihood programs. The sisters promised to do their best to address these problems. The visit was made during the nuns’ observation of the base metal plants’ test run as an effort to understand the company’s capability and commitment to conduct responsible mining.

VOL. 1 NO. 11 page 2 THE NEWSWEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Cecille Calleja � Con-tributors: Martin Reynoso, Melanie Valenciano, Gilbert Llovit Bicol Translation: Mcken Belgica, Roy Cervantes � Production: Arnold A. Guadalupe, Kareen Asuncion, Mcken Belgica � Circulation: Mcken Belgica, Nancy Alipar, C.A.R.E. Dept.

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Albay Gulf, a Shared Resource By: Martin P. Reynoso

The Coral Reef Ecosystem, also known as the rainforests of the oceans, is one of the most sensitive and precious resources of our community. Coral reefs are the breeding ground for fish larvae and the cornerstone of the tropical marine ecosystem. It is the main spawning area of many fish species and the health of a coral reef has been found to be in direct proportion to the amount of fish catch collected by the surrounding coastal communities. In the case of Al-bay Gulf, these are the municipalities of Legazpi, Sto. Domingo, Sorsogon and RapuRapu. The Coral Reef also benefit the local economies by providing industries such as Industrial Fisheries, Ar-tisanal Fisheries, Mass tourism, Ecotourism, Marine aquaculture, Ocean research, access to genetic resources and other activities. Coral Reefs around the world are currently under threat from natu-ral and human factors. Examples of which are typhoons, ship groundings, oil spills, industrial toxins, coral bleaching, damage from dynamite and other illegal fishing methods, coral bleaching, drought, siltation due to erosion, and other various aspects induced by human action and natural causes. Coral Reefs are also a large contributor to the amount of fish pro-tein harvested from the oceans. Fish protein sourced from the sea remains to be one of the top resources relied upon not just by the communities surrounding Albay Gulf but almost the entire Philip-pine population for food. Sustaining the health of the coral reef ecosystem is also sustaining the supply of food for the Filipinos.

Currently there are several methods being used to address this prob-lem. Beach cleanups, information dissemination and even artificial reefs are being employed around the Albay Gulf area to rehabilitate the coral reef ecosystem. The Legazpi City Junior Chamber of Commerce, working with the City Government of Legazpi, Philippine Navy SouthCom, Bicol Scuba Divers’ Foundation Inc., the Rotary Club of Legazpi Central, University of Florida, and Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc. (RRMI) and Rapu-Rapu Processing Inc. (RRPI) has recently spearheaded a plan for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management which takes a holistic approach to this problem. It involves almost the entire population surrounding the Albay Gulf. These are the current and future activi-ties that will be undertaken:

Step 1: The evaluation and assessment of the present conditions of coral reef ecosystems and other re-lated ecosystems such as tributary rivers, sur-rounding mangrove forests and shoreline condi-tions.

Step 2: The cleanup of the entire ecosystem involved from the river tributaries (scheduled to start), the shoreline (scheduled to start), and the coral reefs (ongoing) including the recent Crown of Thorns (a coral predator) cleanup and removal drive where over 1000+ of these pests were removed from Denson Reef saving up to 50+ hectares of coral a year.

Step 3: A massive information dissemination and educa-tional program focusing on the population living beside the bodies of water such as the river tribu-taries and the shoreline on the degrading impact of pollution to the entire ecosystem and how it affects their own food supply.

Step 4: Government legislation to safeguard the areas which have been or are currently being rehabili-tated such as the riverbanks, mangroves, and the coral reef itself.

Step 5: Strict implementation of all regulations protect-ing and safeguarding the environment as well as attacking the problem “culturally” wherein the entire population is involved as a watchdog of the environment.

Step 6: Using the gains of the program for the direct and indirect benefit of the community thru eco-tourism, increased fish catch, aquaculture, higher quality of living, and an overall cleaner environ-ment.

The task is quite considerable and daunting but this is an ongoing project and a phase of this project, the PULANG BUYA REHA-BILITATION PROJECT (Part of Step 2) just recently won several awards for the “Best Environmental Protection Project”, and the “Best Over All Community Project for Southern Luzon” in the re-cent Junior Chamber International Awarding Ceremonies. Due to the long term nature of these projects, immediate action must be followed up by long term planning and constant supervi-sion in order that sustainable gains can be made. Safeguarding the environment is a duty that everyone should be involved in.

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