Prarie Messenger- Letters to the Editor (April 2007)

Letter 1 - From Fr. Pat Kelly to Editor

[Rio Tuba in the Philippines an example of broken promises]

Greetings from Manila.

Fr. Charlie Gervais and I (Fr. Pat Kelly) are members of the Scarboro Missions in the Philippines. In the late 70 we were in Southern Leyte where many wives complained that they had not received, the salaries of their husbands who were working in a distant place called Rio Tuba, Palawan.Charlie and I decided to go and see what the problem was. We flew to Manila andthen to Puerto Princesa in Palawan (which is a long narrow island west of the main islands). We traveled by road going south until we came to Brooks Point. Here we got into a motorized small boat with outriggers and traveled by sea for four hours and finally reached Rio Tuba. There was a high mountain in front of us, which was full of nickel deposits. A consortium of Japanese and Filipinos were going to mine it and the future for Rio Tuba was bright: it would be one of the richest places in the whole island of Palawan.The agreement between the Japanese and Filipino partners was to share the raw material 50/50. It would all be shipped to Japan for processing. The Japanese partners offered to build the whole town: schools, churches, houses and roads. The men from Southern Leyte were hired as carpenters and laborers.It was a difficult place to work. Some workers got cerebral malaria and the pain they suffered would tear the heart from you. Husbands left their families in Southern Leyte to go work in such difficult conditions because they were poor. Charlie and I stayed there for three days and the question of the salaries was quickly straightened out. All the talk about the future of Rio Tuba stayed with us and we were happy for the people and their bright future.

In March 2006, I was in Manila and met a Catholic priest from Palawan; he said the poorest municipality on the whole island of Palawan is Rio Tuba. This is another example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Fr. Pat Kelly, Manila


Letter 2 - From Cardinal Rosales to Editor

[Canadian mine concerns Manila Cardinal Rosales ]

I am writing this open letter to the friends of Toronto Ventures Inc. with headquarters in Calgary. I write from Manila where my links to the people and land of Mindanaodate back to 1982, some 25 years ago when I was assigned as bishop of Malaybalay in Bukidnon. From the late 1980s to the early 90's we accompanied the people in their crusade to preserve the few remaining natural resources (including forests and river water) in their province. The near ecological disaster was the result of irresponsible and profit-driven forest exploiters.

Today, on the other side of the island of Mindanao in the Diocese of Pagadian, Zamboanga del Norte, Toronto Ventures Inc. is putting up a mining plant against the desire of the people and natives of the place. Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar, CCsR, of the Diocese of Pagadian, together with the faithful and residents of the province, have expressed their discontent with putting up a mining plant in their province for fear of water and soil contamination, lack of social resource/product sharing and/or health hazards to area residents. Muchsocio-economic and health adversity has been recorded in other mining areas in Southern Philippines in the past. Many people in the concerned area of the Philippines, including myself fin Manila, will appreciate your company’s respect for our people’s preferences and your kind concern for our fast-dwindling limited natural resources.

Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales, Archbishop of Manila


Previous Posts on this site related to Canadian Mining

Feb 1, 2007 - Selfishness and Greed: Why? Why? Why?
Feb 22, 2007 - Canadian Bishop's Decry Mining Practices
March 3, 2007 - Progress Responsibility - The Poor Ignored
April 4, 2007 - Ground Breaking Report