Mining firm to build plant in Tolosa, Leyte

TOLOSA, Leyte -- A junior mining firm will proceed with the construction of a plant in this town next year after completing the exploration for magnetite sand in four Leyte towns last month, a company official said.

Northern Access Mining Incorporated (Nami) General Manager Silvestre Jeric Lapan said they are now on the process of completing all regulatory permits before moving on to the next phase of the project.

?€œThere are many development aspects that we cannot implement because we have to comply with government regulations. Our commitment to the people is we won?€™t start as long [as] we?€™re not complete with necessary permits,?€ Lapan said in an interview on the sidelines of Nami?€™s corporate social responsibility project caravan.

The official said they have temporarily stopped their operation this month since they are done exploring all covered areas except the town of Tanauan, where the local government unit issued a resolution disallowing any mining activities.

In an earlier disclosure, Lapan said Nami will invest up to P600 million for their full operation in five Leyte towns. This year, the firm?€™s initial investment was P300 million.

The mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) allows Nami to explore 50 mining blocks covering the municipalities of Tanauan, Tolosa, Dulag, Julita, and Tabontabon, all in Leyte.

The company started their exploration for magnetite sand in 2008 with an investment of P200 million. The target is to produce 1.2 million tons per year of titano-magnetite iron ore.

Lapan said Tolosa will be the location of the plant since the area comprises 25 percent of the firms mining claim with an estimated three million tons concentrate.

Julita and Tabon-Tabon are not coastal towns but it has been covered by the mining firm in their exploration because of the presence of sand in the soils.

?€œThere were good indications in the past and we were able to validate that in our exploration,?€ he added.

Lapan said they are very careful with their operation especially that many local government units and organizations strongly oppose mining operations.

?€œWe have to be honest with the community by telling them all the disadvantages of mining measures that we have been doing to minimize the negative impact of mining,?€ he said. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)

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