IBALANGIBOG SA BILOG NA MUNDO, ORAGON AN BICOLANO! KAYA TA AN RESPONSABLENG PAGMIMINA SA RAPU-RAPU!

THE NEWSWEEK
VOL. 1 NO. 11 AN INTRA-COMPANY OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RAPU-RAPU POLYMETALLIC PROJECT AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

PULANG BUYA REHABILITATION PROJECT WINS

JUNIOR CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
At the 26th Junior Chamber International (JCI) Southern Luzon
Area Conference held last September 3, 2006 in Paradiso Terrestre,
Molino, Bacoor, JCI Legaspi was awarded Best Environmental Pro-
tection Project” and the “Best Over All Community Project for
Southern Luzon” for the Pulang Buya Environmental Project in the
recent Junior Chamber International Awarding Ceremonies. This
project, part of RRPI/RRMI’s environmental and coastal manage-
ment efforts was launched last May 6, 2006 in Rawis, Legaspi City.
The activity was participated by RRPI/RRMI personnel including
Corporate Secretary Atty. Sarge Sarmiento,
Environmental Consultant John Carlo Tria,
Safety Officer Melvin Alonzo, and liaison
officer Melanie Valenciano, the Jaycees
Philippines-Legaspi, The Rotary Club of
Legazpi Central, the Philippine Navy
Southern Luzon
Command, and
the Bicol Scuba
Divers’ Foun-
dation, Inc.
(BSDFI). The
project called
for the collec-
tion of the
Crown of Thorns, a starfish that has infested Pulang Buya, a coral
reef located off the shores of Rawis in the Albay Gulf.
According to Atty. Sarmiento, the activity was “the start of a part-
nership with local organizations to protect and enhance the Albay
Gulf. Being located also in the Gulf, our company wants to make
sure that its ecosystem remains healthy, and to keep the fish abun-
dance for the benefit of the fishermen and the public.” He added
that the company recognizes the potential of the Gulf as a scuba
diving destination … “spurring tourism will also build businesses
which will employ people while at the same time protect the Albay
Gulf.”
The company hopes to make this a continuing activity and to in-
clude the coral reefs around Rapu-Rapu and Sorsogon. Other fol-
low-up projects would be the mapping out of dive-sites around the
Albay Gulf to encourage scuba divers locally and internationally to
consider the Province as an eco-tourism area.
The current president of the JCI Legaspi is Vice-Mayor Rico Sala-
zar and the project chair-
man is Martin Reynoso.

SISTERS OF CHARITY
“...Inasmuch as private sector participation is en-
couraged, mining companies, quarries and cement
VISIT MINE AND
plants in your area of jurisdiction can be invited to
participate” Horacio Ramos, National Director of
DIALOGUE WITH
MGB. PAGCOLBON RESIDENTS
This directive was taken to heart by RRPI/RRMI
employees who participated in the “Green Philip- Residents of the Pagcolbon Resettlement were treated to a visit
pine Highways” project of the Department of Energy and Natural and a dialogue with the Sri Lankan Sisters of Charity residing in
Resources. On the morning of August 25, 2006, they went to baran- San Roque, Legaspi: Sister Swarma, Sister Marie de Loreto, and
gay Homapon, Albay and planted pili and mahogany trees with Sister Calixta on August 28, 2006 at the Pagcolbon Chapel. The
other mining, quarrying, and cement companies as well as schools, residents, mostly women and children, asked the nuns for assis-
hospitals, and other government agencies. Heading the group was tance on the following: 1. holy mass to be said at the Chapel, 2.
Environment Manager Carmelita Pacis with Cecille Calleja, VP for catechesis, and 3. livelihood programs. The sisters promised to do
Corporate Affairs and Joey Cubias, VP for Industrial and Commu- their best to address these problems.
nity Relations. The DENR coordinated the project with companies
and the respective LGUs. The visit was made during the nuns’ observation of the base metal
plants’ test run as an effort to understand the company’s capability
As part of this and commitment to conduct responsible mining.
ev ent , RR PI /
RRMI also do-
nated 1,100 ma-
hogany seedlings
grown in the com-
pany’s nursery to
the Province and
to the City of Sor-
sogon.
VOL. 1 NO. 11 page 2 THE NEWSWEEK AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

Currently there are several methods being used to address this prob-
lem. Beach cleanups, information dissemination and even artificial
reefs are being employed around the Albay Gulf area to rehabilitate
the coral reef ecosystem.

The Legazpi City Junior Chamber of Commerce, working with the

Albay Gulf, a Shared Resource
By: Martin P. Reynoso
The Coral Reef Ecosystem, also known as the rainforests of the
oceans, is one of the most sensitive and precious resources of our
community. Coral reefs are the breeding ground for fish larvae and
the cornerstone of the tropical marine ecosystem. It is the main
spawning area of many fish species and the health of a coral reef
has been found to be in direct proportion to the amount of fish catch
collected by the surrounding coastal communities. In the case of Al-
bay Gulf, these are the municipalities of Legazpi, Sto. Domingo,
Sorsogon and RapuRapu. The Coral Reef also benefit the local
economies by providing industries such as Industrial Fisheries, Ar-
tisanal Fisheries, Mass tourism, Ecotourism, Marine aquaculture,
Ocean research, access to genetic resources and other activities.
Coral Reefs around the world are currently under threat from natu-
ral and human factors. Examples of which are typhoons, ship
groundings, oil spills, industrial toxins, coral bleaching, damage
from dynamite and other illegal fishing methods, coral bleaching,
drought, siltation due to erosion, and other various aspects induced
by human action and natural causes.
Coral Reefs are also a large contributor to the amount of fish pro-
tein harvested from the oceans. Fish protein sourced from the sea
remains to be one of the top resources relied upon not just by the
communities surrounding Albay Gulf but almost the entire Philip-
pine population for food. Sustaining the health of the coral reef
ecosystem is also sustaining the supply of food for the Filipinos.
THE COMMITTEE ON CAMP SERVICES EVALUATION (CSE)
! "# $% & " '('')
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City Government of Legazpi, Philippine Navy SouthCom, Bicol
Scuba Divers’ Foundation Inc., the Rotary Club of Legazpi Central,
University of Florida, and Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc. (RRMI) and
Rapu-Rapu Processing Inc. (RRPI) has recently spearheaded a plan
for an Integrated Coastal Zone Management which takes a holistic
approach to this problem. It involves almost the entire population
surrounding the Albay Gulf. These are the current and future activi-
ties that will be undertaken:
Step 1: The evaluation and assessment of the present
conditions of coral reef ecosystems and other re-
lated ecosystems such as tributary rivers, sur-
rounding mangrove forests and shoreline condi-
tions.
Step 2: The cleanup of the entire ecosystem involved
from the river tributaries (scheduled to start), the
shoreline (scheduled to start), and the coral reefs
(ongoing) including the recent Crown of Thorns
(a coral predator) cleanup and removal drive
where over 1000+ of these pests were removed
from Denson Reef saving up to 50+ hectares of
coral a year.
Step 3: A massive information dissemination and educa-
tional program focusing on the population living
beside the bodies of water such as the river tribu-
taries and the shoreline on the degrading impact
of pollution to the entire ecosystem and how it
affects their own food supply.
Step 4: Government legislation to safeguard the areas
which have been or are currently being rehabili-
tated such as the riverbanks, mangroves, and the
coral reef itself.
Step 5: Strict implementation of all regulations protect-
ing and safeguarding the environment as well as
attacking the problem “culturally” wherein the
entire population is involved as a watchdog of
the environment.
Step 6: Using the gains of the program for the direct and
indirect benefit of the community thru eco-
tourism, increased fish catch, aquaculture, higher
quality of living, and an overall cleaner environ-
ment.
The task is quite considerable and daunting but this is an ongoing
project and a phase of this project, the PULANG BUYA REHA-
BILITATION PROJECT (Part of Step 2) just recently won several
“Best Over All Community Project for Southern Luzon” in the re-
cent Junior Chamber International Awarding Ceremonies.
Due to the long term nature of these projects, immediate action
must be followed up by long term planning and constant supervi-
sion in order that sustainable gains can be made. Safeguarding the
environment is a duty that everyone should be involved in.

*$ "# ('') #*+ * ! (

* . # - 1 + EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Cecille Calleja Con-
tributors: Martin Reynoso, Melanie Valenciano, Gilbert Llovit
! "# $%+ ! 0 * ñ $ Bicol Translation: Mcken Belgica, Roy Cervantes Production:
/ / $ + Arnold A. Guadalupe, Kareen Asuncion, Mcken Belgica
Circulation: Mcken Belgica, Nancy Alipar, C.A.R.E. Dept.