The Island Newsweek V1 N04

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

THE VOL. 1 NO. 4

NEWSWEEK JUNE 8 - 14, 2006

GOVERNMENT ALLOWS 30-DAY TEST RUN On June 13, 2006, the government released the longawaited decision to allow the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project a 30-day test run. DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes said that a temporary lifting order (TLO) will be issued to the company to resume operations. “Before, during and after the test run, certain conditions would have to be met,” he said. “After the company complies with all these conditions the final lifting order shall be issued to Lafayette for it to resume full operations.” Certain conditions were required by the government as follows: 1. Payment of fines of Php10.7 million; 2. Extension of the validity of surety bond; 3. Installation of a storm drainage canal to prevent tailings from spilling over the dam in the event of heavy rain; 4. Installation of a storm drainage canal to prevent

tailings from spilling over the dam in the event of heavy rain; 5. Installation of dam monitoring instruments and emergency control mechanisms to prevent or minimize damage in case of accidents during the t e s t run; 6. Openness of the test run to the public and commissioning of third party experts to observe the trial; 7. Submission of a final mine decommissioning and rehabilitation plan by December and depositing of the budget for the plan within six months of its being approved; and 8. Conducting of regular samplings of water and tailings. Top management is confident that remedial measures undertaken will pass all tests and that after a successful test run, permission to resume full operations will be granted. Source: Phil. Daily Inquirer, June 13

First ever Philippine Flag ceremony at the mine site At a press statement regarding the simple flag ceremony, Mr. Sonny Dominguez, CEO and President of Lafayette Philippines, Inc., said that “This is a simple gesture but I am sure that it will go a long way. A fired up workforce will do its best for the company and all its stakeholders, especially the host communities.” Thus as the country celebrated its 108th Year Anniversary of Independence, the Rapu-Rapu mine also marked its first year of Filipino management. The event was made more meaningful with a reenactment of history by Arnold Guadalupe who read the Declaration of Independence as Emilio Aguinaldo did 108 years ago. In the evening, at 7:00 pm, the movie: “Bayaning Third World” was shown. It featured the Life and Heroism of Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero.

On Monday, June 12, at 7:00 am at the Basketball Court, the employees, contractors and subcontractors of the RapuRapu Polymetallic proudly sang the Philippine National Anthem as the Philippine flag was hoisted over the RapuRapu campsite. And thus was memorialized the first time ever that a Philippine flag ceremony was conducted at the project site. This ceremony will henceforth be conducted every Monday at 7:00 am.

VOL. 1 NO. 4

THE ISLAND NEWSWEEK

JUNE 8 - 14, 2006

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS OIL SPILL TRAINING AND EXERCISE

SAFETY FIRST: BASIC LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING

Members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) attended the Oil Spill Training and Exercise conducted by MATCOR, supplier of the spill boom, on June 7-8, 2006, Activities included classroom discussion, oil spill exercise and critique session.

The Safety Department, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross, Legazpi Chapter, launched the first and second batches in a series of training for First-Aid/Basic Life Support for all RRPI and RRMI employees and contractors. Those interested in joining in the forthcoming training sessions must please sign up. The Schedule of succeeding sessions are as follows: 3rd batch – June 19 to 21, 2006 4th batch – June 22 to 24, 2006 5th batch – June 26 to 28, 2006

ISPS CODE AWARENESS TRAINING

The Security Department, headed by Mr. Francis S. Suan, sponsored the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code Awareness Training attended by supervisors and section heads of the different departments as well as senior personnel of the contractors and subcontractors. The 2-hour seminar, held at the Conference Room on June 13 at 3:00 pm, was conducted to enhance awareness of International Standard of Security Measures and Procedures that also required the development of a Port Facility Security Plan. The resource speaker was Captain Juan V. Togonon of Maritime Technical Training Center, a nationally well-known security organization.

PROJECT “LIBRENG SCHOOL SUPPLIES” DISTRIBUTES P1.25 MILLION WORTH OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO 2, 500 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RAPU-RAPU Poblacion, Guadalupe, Morocborocan, Mananao, Viga, Tinopan and Linao.

Buenavista,

Acal,

The project launching was held in Rapu-Rapu East Central School, Brgy. Poblacion, Rapu-Rapu, Albay last June 13, 2006, distributing 255 sets of school supplies to grade 1 and 2 pupils. The distribution of the school supplies in all elementary schools will continue for four days from June 19 to 22 of next week. The Sangguniang Bayan of Rapu-Rapu, in cooperation with Rapu-Rapu Minerals, Inc. and Rapu-Rapu Processing, Inc. will donate P1.25 million worth of school supplies to all the school children in Rapu-Rapu Island under project “Libreng School Supplies.” Each of the 2,500 children will be given school supplies consisting of a school bag, ruler, pencil, ballpen, scissors, paste, pad paper, notebooks, theme notebook and crayons. The value of a complete set is more than P500 each. The 12 schools that will receive the school supplies are those from the barangays of : Malobago, Binosawan, Carogcog,

Ms. Ofel Ante, CARE Officer for Education, said each set of school supplies is only a supplemental support for the education needs of the children. Many parents were grateful, saying that the project will be a great help to them especially in this time of crisis when every centavo counts for economic survival.