I am posting the raw, unedited exchanges, except the less substantial comments. With explicit permission from JB and implicit permission from the others. To see the raw exchanges, check here on JB's fb wall. The three photos below are a screen shot + images from the sites mentioned. Six pages long, 3,200+ words, so get your snacks and enjoy reading.
February 19, 2013
Time and again I have asked university students "How
many of you have signed a petition against mining?" and MANY hands go up.
Then I ask them "How many of you have been to a mine?" - and almost
NO hand is raised. As a self-proclaimed "political commentator and social
observer" the results amaze me and sadden me and thrill me all at the same
time - I am amazed because people (whatever age) are willing to SIGN petitions
based solely on what they have heard; saddened, because this tells me that when
you (an individual, an organization, even a corporation) are up against a
well-entrenched campaign to impugn your character and you don't have a chance
to show people the real you, then you will most likely be judged by what media
tells people about you. And thrilled, because each and everyone I have
accompanied to see the mining operation I work for has returned from the visit
a little better informed and more open to the idea that there is a valid
distinction between mining operations on one hand and responsible mining
operations on the other - just like in almost any family there is the
proverbial black sheep among the white. THE PROBLEM IS, we cannot afford to
bring 100 million Filipinos to see how we do business - and yet many media
practitioners consistently REFUSE our invitation to go - afraid perhaps that
they will have to eat their words and admit that they have not been totally
fair?? Today I extended an invitation through a friend to organize a visit for
a network, and was told that the response was "lukewarm". Why? For
this I am grateful to those who have accepted my invitation to go and who have
remained free, after to visit, to say or not say (or write or NOT write about)
what they feel about our operations. At the very least i hope the trip provided
them a different point of view from the general impression that our industry
sometimes unfairly labors under. Indeed my warning to those who join me on the
trip is this : Be prepared to have many if not all of your pre-conceived
notions about mining companies challenged, if not totally over turned. And I
know that that can be a very unsettling proposition!
Paul Alli I
am from Samar, and I know what the mining companies have done to its
environment: pillage and plunder while destroying its environs. Meanwhile the
Samarenos are still majority poor. No wonder they call us "Warays"
because its English translation is "nothing". I can document cases in
Samar where they have undervalued copper, manganese, and chromite exports to
other countries, thanks to the DENR,LGUs and Bureau of Customs in cahoots with
the mining companies. I am also working with another case in Surigao. A land
belonging to a tribe. Its chieftain told me that until now the 29 mining
companies operating in their tribal land has not given them royalties from
their mining operations.
JB Baylon We
should come down hard on anyone and everyone who violates the law. It is as
simple as that. And I am not surprised about what you said about government
being in cahoots...this is true in many industries. Unfortunately there is no
short cut: prosecute the guilty. Unfortunately also we cannot jump from your
experience there to make it a general rule. I am just sorry if Samar has gotten
the raw end of the deal for years. Who are the companies and who are the
owners?
Paul Alli I
cannot name names here..you know the law nowadays. I will send you a separate
email if you want.
JB Baylon Paul Alli yes
please...private message me so I can give you my email address. This should be
part of our cleansing the political-economic system...
Grace
Arre-Carandang Hi JB, I likewise would have said no to mining
years ago due to lack of knowledge about it. Having moved to Australia, it
didn't take long for me to understand that mining is one of the propellers of
this nation's economy. It brings in billions of dollars of export income from
supplying minerals and resources globally (iron ore, coal, nickel, copper, just
to name a few). It provides work for millions (including immigrants) and
supports communities all across the country. If they have turned mining into a
successful industry from where it started 150 years ago, our nation can do it
too.
Tess
Leano People who are against mining should never wear precious
stones (diamonds, ruby, sapphire,etc) and metals (platinum, gold, silver, etc)
because of obvious reasons - they are mining products!
JB Baylon Aimee Grace B
Tapeceria Grace Arre-CarandangTess Leano thank
you very much for your comments. as I said there are irresponsible miners and
there are responsible ones and the problem is that the sins of the former are
typecast as sins of everyone. Responsible miners should get their act together
and themselves help call the irresponsible ones to account -- but guess what:
there is so much politics and corruption involved that someone (an ex-military
official) told me that illegal mining is the new JUETENG. So that's what we are
up against here....
May 1, 2013…
Mr. U. People commenting here about mining in Australia and
wearing stones and what not are morons. I live in Surigao where mining is
rampant. Some of our rivers there are now dead due to laterite. Australia is a
huge country where they can mine far from where the people live. In our place
our mountains are right beside our towns, our agriculture, our fishponds where
we catch our fish. They are connected to our beaches. "watershed"
areas are not to be mined. We tried to stop the cutting of our trees and yet we
support mining? Parang sinasabi mo sa barbero, "manong hindi nyo po
puedeng putolin ang buhok ko pero puede nyo po i scrape yung scalp ko."
Ganon ba tayo ka tanga? By the way JB have you been to Surigao? if not, better
go there and look for yourself the bad effects of mining that you trying to
defend. It is not rocket science to understand what's good and bad. Here is a
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG2Un59hgMA.
