Louie

I remember going to Baguio every summer when I was still a kid.   It's been a long time though since my last visit. Around 2006? I went there earlier this month (November 8 to 12), not for vacation but  to cover a mining conference and to visit the country's largest miner's Padcal mine.

The trip was quite an experience considering that I have never visited a mine site before. We went inside the Padcal mine operated by Philex Mining Corp. We had to wear hard hats, and boots because, as what the Philex officials said, it was the standard outfit there.  We also had to ride 4x4 vehicles inside. It was so cool.

Looking like Santa Claus.

While we were in the mine site, some people from our group got lost because their driver wasn't very familiar with the way around the mine. It was a good thing we were riding with the incoming president of the firm, who told us he worked for 25 years in the site. He was the one who found those that went missing  for a while.  Amazing right?

Underground, we saw the nickel ore being shipped overseas and the equipment used to get all of it.  The nickel ore, I have to be honest, looks just like plain sand. Not exactly how I imagined it.  I thought we would see gold, but we were told the metal is processed else where.

Close to the mine site is a community with people who seem to have no problem about mining at all. Mining activity in the area has provided them and remains to be their source of livelihood. There are schools in the community and a hospital with their own doctors. Security is pretty much covered too.

There is a lot of debate in mining now, particularly with certain provinces imposing a ban on open pit mining like South Cotabato and Zamboanga del Norte. Some would question  if the benefits are worth it after the resources are utilized. Here's my take on the matter. I think what is needed is a balance.

By the way, during our very little free time in Baguio, we dropped by a cute bookstore with books by Filipino writers I've never heard of nor seen in bookstores in Manila. The store's called Mt. Cloud. I didn't buy any book because I didn't find anything I really, really like. Got notebooks instead which I plan to give to friends for presents.

We went to Nevada Square too, which is like a small compound of bars/clubs. We went there on a Wednesday night, so we pretty much had the place all to ourselves. There was a pole and while none of us know how to work it, we pretended we could.