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Oxfam Australia's Mining Ombudsman Shanta Martin meets with OceanaGold's mine management in Didipio. Photo: OxfamAUS 
Fast facts
- Resource: Gold and copper
- Mine location: Barangay Didipio, Kasibu Municipality, Nueva Vizcaya Province, North-central Luzon, Philippines
- Mine operator: Australasian Philippines Mining Inc.
- Mine owner: OceanaGold Corporation
- Affected communities: Ifugao, Kalanguya, Ibaloi, Tagalog, Ilocano and Bugkalot tribes and other Visavan settlers
- Operational Status: Non Operational - on "care and maintenance"
Didipio, the Philippines
The situation
Didipio community members approached the Mining Ombudsman in 2002 with concerns over a proposed gold and copper mine. The mine is due to begin production in 2009.
They believe the mine, owned by Australian stock-exchange listed company OceanaGold, will cause environmental damage, endanger health, displace them from their lands and destroy income they receive from agricultural production carried out in the area. They also claim they have been harassed and intimidated by mine representatives and pressured to sell their land at a price set by the mining company.
The case demonstrates the importance of providing communities with accessible, timely and correct information about the potential social and environmental impacts of mine activities, and allowing communities to decide if mine operations should go ahead in their community or not.
The Didipio case highlights the need for communities that will be affected by mine operations to give their free, prior and informed consent to mining operations – at all stages of mining exploration, operation and rehabilitation. As is often the case the opportunity to give or deny consent has not been provided to the local community in Didipio.
Oxfam's response
Oxfam Australia visited Didipio on a number of occasions over the past five years, conducting interviews and taking part in community meetings involving hundreds of people. We have found significant opposition to the project from community members and the elected local council which has not given its consent to the project.
In September 2007 Oxfam published the Didipio Mining Ombudsman Case Report. The report outlines the results of our investigations, including community grievances, and makes recommendations designed to address these grievances.
We recommend that OceanaGold address community members' concerns by:
- Supporting an official investigation into allegations of offering financial inducements
- Stopping land acquisition activities described by villagers as constituting harassment and intimidation
- Respecting the authority of the democratically elected Didipio Barangay Council
- Respecting communities' decision-making processes and their right to give or deny their free, prior and informed consent
- Supporting independent social, environmental and gender assessments of the likely impacts of the mine operation
Community protests in Didipio and surrounding exploration sites have continued throughout 2008. The Mining Ombudsman has raised community concerns with OceanaGold numerous times through letters and discussions. However, the company has not substantively responded to any of the community's grievances. In addition, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights announced in July 2008 it will investigate human rights abuses by OceanaGold. The current status of the investigation is not known.
OceanaGold is also facing financial problems. After announcing it was placing a partial suspension on activities at the mine, the company announced in December 2008 that the mine is to be put on “care and maintenance” after failing to secure sufficient capital to progress the mine’s development. The future of the mine and people in the surrounding communities remains unclear.
The Mining Ombudsman will continue to engage with the relevant parties regarding the concerns of the community and to raise the public profile of this case.
Find out more
- ABC: Human rights abuses at mining site in Didipio, The Philippines
- ABC's piece investigating the alleged human rights abuses in Didipio, The Philippines. Complaints that homes have been destroyed and an escalation in violence highlights for independent oversight into the actions of Australian mining companies operating overseas.
- Audio/slideshow: Trouble in the valley
- Malabing Valley locals show what's at stake if OceanaGold moves in.
- Read our full case report (PDF 1.7MB)
- Read more about Free, Prior and Informed Consent (PDF 749KB)
- Read our correspondence with OceanaGold
- Listen to an overview of the case with Oxfam's Shanta Martin (MP3 1.2MB)