Iloilo City – A news item entitled “PH Government Awards P2.3T ($51.4B) Mining Contract to Rio Tinto Following the Rediscovery of 24K Gold Nuggets in the Rivers of Hinobaan” was posted in the website The Philippine Pride on December 16, 2014.
Contrary to this news item, “the government has not awarded a P23T ($51.4B) mining contract to a foreign investor covering the towns in southern Negros Occidental,” clarified MGB-6 Regional Director Leo Van V. Juguan, CESO V.
RD Juguan further said that the list of mining contracts approved by the government can be accessed by the public in the website of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) under the Mineral Industry Information with address www.mgb.gov.ph.
“There are currently five (5) approved mining contracts or tenements which are Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) within the areas of Kabankalan City, Sipalay City, and Hinobaan, Negros Occidental. The company Rio Tinto as cited by the news item was supposedly awarded as ‘the biggest mining project’ in the Philippines. But the said company is not included in the list of approved mining tenements of the MGB,” said Juguan. (MGB-6)