A Canadian-owned corporation has been allowed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct mineral exploration activities on Samar island.

DENR Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said he has approved the issuance of an exploration permit (EP) to Canadian-owned CVMR Resources (Philippines), Inc. following its compliance with all the requirements which include environmental, financial, technical, legal and social acceptability.

CVMR is a mutinational corporation with subsidiaries in China, Singapore, the United States and Germany. The company specializes in developing technologies for extraction, separation, refining and forming metals based on its proprietary vapor metallurgy processes.

Covered by CVMR’s approved exploration permit is a 3,757.014-hectare contiguous area located in the municipalities of Balangiga, Giporlos and Quinapondan, all in Eastern Samar.

The area has been ascertained also by the concerned one stop-shop committee of the DENR as outside of the existing DENR forest projects and the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP).

DENR records show that the approval of CVMR’s EP now brings to a total of 28 existing EPs covering about 89,828.76 hectares throughout the country.

Under the CVMR’s Php 9.37 million project, the corporation will conduct exploration activity for two years involving geological mapping, auger sampling and geochemical surveys intended to explore nickel laterite deposits in the said areas of Eastern Samar.

An exploration permit is an initial mode of entry in mineral exploration allowing a qualified person to undertake mineral resources exploration in areas open to mining.

The exploration permit covers a period of two years from the date of its issuance. It is renewable for another two years but should not exceed a total of four years for non-metallic mineral exploration or six years for metallic mineral exploration. (DENR-PAO)

April 20 , 2007