Newsbreak magazine’s special issue on mining is out.

The Big Dig is the first journalistic assessment of the mining industry since the Supreme Court upheld the mining act in 2004. It looks into the expected economic benefits of mining operations, as well as their effects on the environment and health of communities. It tackles mining’s dirty past in the Philippines, and proposes solutions and policy reforms.

Copies of the magazine are available in bookstores and other magazine outlets at P150 each. For bulk orders, contact Newsbreak at 920-0997, fax 920-3611, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

CONTENTS

Overview

• Unearthing Strife
  Rising metal prices and friendly government policy spur a surge in investments and set off a spate of conflicts. Protracted disputes may hold the industry back.

Environment

• Not Fit for Mining
  Set to resume in July, mining operations in Rapu-Rapu are still expected to pose threats to the environment, modern technology notwithstanding. Strict monitoring is recommended.
• Dirty Past
  Many of the companies carrying out the biggest and most important mining projects today have a history of releasing harmful wastewater and substances into the environment.
• Not All Minerals Aid Health
  Most of the health effects of exposure to mine drainage do not manifest overnight. By the time they become noticeable, they are irreversible and incurable.

Communities

• Protracted War
  Communities near the country's big mineral deposits have seen some of the forest battles to change people's attitudes toward mining.
• Bishops and Activists
  Getting to know who are leading the fight against large-scale mining.
• On Shaky Ground
  The tools of small-scale mining have advanced from just picks and shovels to drilling machines, excavators, and powerful explosives. Many small miners risk running afoul of outdated laws.

Policy

• Local Solutions
  The search for ways to resolve the long-standing conflicts and disputes begins with empowering local communities to weigh the costs and benefits of destroying the landscape to unearth precious minerals.
• A Safe Hedge
  Mining companies should be compelled to annually set aside the maximum amounts to pay for the environmental and health damages brought about by their operations.

Images

• Revisiting Rapu-Rapu

Focus on Luzon

• Gunning for Nickel
  Rival mining companies in Zambales province are turning to the military and the police to supplement their private security.
• Breaching the Barricades
  OceanaGold is enduring the anger and resentment of Nueva Vizcaya's provincial leaders in exchange for the chance to develop one of the world's highest grade gold-copper ore deposits.
• Defaulting on Nature
  The first major metallic mine to open after the Supreme Court upheld the 1995 mining law almost went bankrupt. What will happen to the company's social and environmental commitments?

Focus on the Visayas

• Second Life
  A history of corporate benevolence is helping Atlas Mining win community support in Cebu for the reopening of what used to be Asia's biggest copper mine.

Focus on Mindanao

• Fostering Dependence
  Sagittarius Mines is spending close to P30 million a year in financial aid to the B'laan tribes and host baranggays. The company is struggling to meet the community's rising expectations.
• Surrogate State
  Five years after signing an agreement in 2003 with a group of Subanen leaders in Sicon, Zamboanga del Norte, Canada's Toronto Ventures appears to be getting more than what it bargained for.
• Divide and Rule
  A new 'social accord' between a state mining company and small-scale miners and tribal communities of Diwalwal could be the government's best chance for imposing order in the gold-rush site. But old mining disputes and fresh controversies could break the deal.

First Person

• The Peaks of Tampakan
• Data Mining

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