protestbarrick.net is now an archive of Protest Barrick's work from 2007 until 2016.
For updates on Protest Barrick's current work, go to: https://protestbarrick.org

  Protest Barrick
Home About us Issues International Campaigns Press Actions

Philippines



Nevada court hears Barrick Gold-Philippines province appeal
by Ken RitterAP
February 4th, 2015
A Philippine island province that experienced mining waste disasters in the 1990s but has been unable to find a court to hear its claim for damages is asking Nevada's highest court to rekindle a nearly 10-year-old state lawsuit against Barrick Gold Corp.

Protest in Nevada: Mining companies must pay full costs to remedy harm EVERYWHERE they operate
by Catherine Coumans
February 3rd, 2015
Today, south of Canada in the US state of Nevada, lawyers for the Province of Marinduque squared off against lawyers for Barrick Gold. Marinduque is holding Barrick Gold responsible for providing remedy for multiple disastrous mine waste failures in Marinduque that have caused serious damage to major river and sea ecosystems and have harmed many Marinduquenos. Last year, Barrick tried to make the law suit go away by offering Marinduque $20 million (of which the province would only get about $12 million after legal and administrative fees). The Province of Marinduque rightly turned down this grossly inadequate offer with its many onerous conditions. And so, the Province is back in court continuing the battle against Barrick for a fair settlement that will allow the Province to clean up the mess that mining has left behind.

Barrick Gold Using Coercive Settlement Provisions to Perpetuate Legacy of Environmental Harm
by Michelle HarrisonEarth Rights International
March 31st, 2014
After nearly a decade of litigation over environmental devastation in the Philippines caused by Placer Dome�s mining operations (now Barrick Gold Corp.), Barrick has reportedly given the Province of Marinduque a take-it-or-leave-it settlement offer that would prohibit the Province from spending a penny to clean up the damage the company left behind.

Marinduque solons oppose $20-M Barrick Gold settlement
Business Mirror (Philippines)
February 22nd, 2014
TWO lawmakers have opposed a $20-million compensation offer being dangled by a mining company in connection with the 1996 Marcopper mine tailing spill, considered the worst mining disaster in the Philippines. �This will not also address the repair of the Maguila-guila and Makulapnit siltation dams and Taipan pit. The said dams are in danger of collapse due to its considerably weakened walls and the big volume of water and silt contained therein. Its collapse will unleash a huge quantity of water and silt to the towns of Boac, Mogpog and possibly other towns in Marinduque which will result to loss of a great number of lives and millions of pesos in damage to homes and properties."

Philippines: Marinduque 'pushed to the wall' by Barrick Gold
by Catherine CoumansMining Watch Canada via Rabble.ca
October 22nd, 2013
Canada�s Barrick Gold, the world�s largest gold mining company that bought out Placer Dome, has spent the better half of a decade fighting the province in court rather than owning up to the company�s responsibility to put things right in Marinduque. Once again, Marinduque is the bellwether, evidence that for all its rhetoric about �responsible mining,� the mining industry is still more concerned with its bottom line than in doing what�s right. In spite of a long legal struggle with competent American lawyers, on September 17, Marinduque provincial administrator Eleuterio Raza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Inquirer) that Barrick was offering the province around 20 million dollars, take it or leave it. According to the Inquirer �[t]he amount, however, would further be reduced to $13.5 million after litigation expenses had been paid. �These are crumbs,� said Raza, �but we are being pushed to the wall.�� It is perfectly clear that this extremely low level of recovery from Barrick is woefully inadequate to protect the health and safety of Marinduquenos, which can only be secured through the comprehensive rehabilitation of all contaminated ecosystems and the stabilization or removal of shoddy dams and structures in the mountains of the island, as well as the tons of toxic waste that these dams are barely containing.

Philippines: Marinduque 'pushed to the wall' by Barrick Gold
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/miningwatch/2013/10/philippines-marinduque-pushed-to-wall-barrick-gold
October 22nd, 2013
In the Philippines, the island province of Marinduque is known as a cautionary tale about the ravages of irresponsible mining. It took Canadian mining giant Placer Dome a couple of decades to wreak environmental destruction on major coral reefs in Calancan Bay and to severely contaminate the Mogpog and Boac Rivers with toxic mine waste -- none of which has ever been cleaned up. The ongoing environmental impacts are only part of the story.

Barrick�s environmental foes jump on wobbly miner
by  MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT Globe and Mail
April 25th, 2013
The long term outlook for Barrick shares hinges on many factors: the gold price is obviously the biggest driver, but the company also faces vociferous opposition from environmentalists and many residents around its mine sites, which should be a long term worry for shareholders.

New Report! "Debunking Barrick"
by multiple authorsProtestBarrick
April 23rd, 2013
As Protest Barrick completes its sixth year of working with communities impacted by Barrick Gold, we are publishing a different kind of alternative annual report. We have noticed over the years that despite some of Barrick`s major abuses coming into light, the company has been able to maintain � within select circles � a reputation for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Meanwhile, around the world, Barrick�s name is still associated with corruption, abuse and environmental harms.

2012-13: Un mal a�o para Barrick
April 19th, 2013
Extracto de "Debunking Barrick", un informe anual alternativo sobre Barrick Gold.

2012-13: A bad year for Barrick
excerpt of "Debunking Barrick", an alternative annual report on Barrick Gold
April 18th, 2013
Before you think about investing in Barrick, check out this timeline of actions against Barrick's operations around the world since last July.

CONFRONT BARRICK: 2013 AGM Protest and Alternative Annual Report!
Once a year, the board of Directors of the world�s most powerful gold mining corporation converge in downtown Toronto. This year, we're releasing a report that chronicles Barrick's lies and highlights the true stories behind their false CSR spin. Help us ensure that these stories don't get ignored.

A chronology of Canadian Government (in)action on mining abuses
by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net
November 1st, 2012
A summary of the regulatory context of international mining in Canada, where 75% of the world's mining and exploration companies are based.

Pay Dirt?
by Michelle SlaterCastlemaine Independent
July 27th, 2011
Can gold ever be ethical?

Informe narrativo: Manifestaci�n contra reuni�n de accionistas de la Barrick, movilizando en apoyo a comunidades afectadas
El equipo ProtestBarrick.net est� actualmente en Toronto, Canad�, para la reuni�n anual general de la Barrick Gold y nuestra quinta gira con comunidades afectadas. Este a�o participan representantes de comunidades de Papua Nueva Guinea, y esperamos (si logren sus visas) que se sumar�n desde Tanzania y las Filipinas tambi�n.

REPORT BACK: Barrick shareholder protest, mobilising in support of impacted communities
The ProtestBarrick.net team is currently in Toronto, Canada for the Barrick Gold's Annual General Meeting (AGM) and our 5th speaking tour with Barrick mining impacted communities. This year we are joined by Papua New Guinean community and hopefully (visas permitting) community from Tanzania and the Philippines.

PHOTOS: Activist Protest Against Barrick Gold
On Wednesday, over 100 activists protested against Barrick Gold outside the Metro Convention Centre, where Barrick Gold was holding its annual shareholders' meeting.

[Espanol] AMIGOS DE LA TIERRA INTERNACIONAL SE SUMA A PROTESTAS CONTRA BARRICK GOLD '�Barrick Gold limpien el desastre! Derecho a la vida por encima de las ganancias del oro'
TORONTO [CANAD�], 27 de abril, 2011 � Hoy, durante la asamblea general anual (AGM) de la empresa minera Barrick Gold en Toronto (Canad�), Amigos de la Tierra Internacional apoya un fuerte llamado de las comunidades del mundo a detener la miner�a de oro y las pr�cticas destructivas de Barrick Gold. Campa�istas est�n presentes en la asamblea y se sumaron a una manifestaci�n frente al lugar. Barrick Gold, la minera de oro m�s grande del mundo, ha sido objeto de muchos estudios que documentan violaciones a los derechos humanos y devastaci�n ambiental a nivel mundial, en pa�ses como Filipinas, Tanzania y Australia.

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH INTERNATIONAL JOINS PROTESTS AGAINST BARRICK GOLD 'Barrick Gold Clean Up Your Act! Right to Life Over Gold Profits'
TORONTO [CANADA], April 27, 2011 � Today, during the annual general meeting (AGM) of mining company Barrick Gold in Toronto (Canada), Friends of the Earth International is supporting a loud call from communities around the world for a halt to gold mining and Barrick Gold's destructive practices. Campaigners are present at the meeting and join a protest rally outside the meeting venue. Barrick Gold, the largest gold miner in the world, has been the subject of many documented studies of human rights abuses and environmental devastation globally, including in the Philippines, Tanzania and Australia.

CONFRONT BARRICK GOLD: mobilise in support of impacted communities
RSVP via Facebook
April 19th, 2011
Once a year, the board of Directors of the world's most powerful gold miner converge in downtown Toronto. Join us and representatives from mining-impacted communities to... CONFRONT BARRICK GOLD! WHEN: Wednesday 27 April 2011 @ 10.30AM WHERE: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto

Supreme Court issues writ on two firms over toxic waste
by Nathaniel R. MelicanBusiness World
THE SUPREME Court has issued a Writ of Kalikasan (nature) sought by residents of Marinduque province to force Placer Dome, Inc. and Barric Gold Corp. to clean up the toxic waste that spilled into the Boac River in 1996.

Munk�s dubious mining morality
by John McKay, Liberal MP, OttawaThe Star.com: CANADIAN PRESS
Re: Lack of support for mining bill, Letter Oct. 31 Barrick Gold Corp.�s Peter Munk raises three very dubious moral arguments in his triumphalist celebration of the defeat of C-300. The first is that mining is important to our economy. True. Apparently as long as it is generating wealth for Canada, abuse of basic human rights, degradation of the host country�s environment, and criminal code offences are okay. Interesting moral equation.

Testimony before Canadian Parliament re Barrick & Porgera JV (Papua New Guinea)
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
In October & November 2009, the Canadian House of Commons' Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs & Intl. Development held hearings on "Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability". The following statements were made regarding issues including allegations of killings, rape & other security problems involving personnel at the Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea, as well as the Porgera mine's environmental impacts. (Barrick Gold holds a large majority stake of the Porgera Joint Venture.)

Barrick Gold year in Review: One Company, 9 Countries, Countless abuses
by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net
April 26th, 2010
From mass poisonings and mass mobilizations in the Dominican Republic, to damning reports in PNG and Tanzania to lawsuits in Chile and the US, Barrick has had its hands full this year in dealing with mounting opposition to its mines. In this Year in Review, you'll find out the ways that Barrick has damaged communities around the world and the many ways that communities are fighting back and demanding justice.

Elusive justice
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
September 30th, 2009

Pollution lawsuit against Barrick reinstated
by SANDY SHOREAssociated Press
September 30th, 2009
A federal appeals court has reinstated a nearly four-year-old lawsuit accusing a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corp. of polluting water and land for decades in a province of the Philippines.

** BARRICK MINING DISASTERS - Emergency Funds Needed **
May 21st, 2009
This has been a crazy past few weeks to be watchdogging Barrick Gold. Within the first week of starting our annual ProtestBarrick tour in Toronto, a Barrick-recommended military force in PNG started to torch hundreds of houses, allegedly to clear way for mine expansion. SO... we changed plans a bit, MiningWatch Canada sent an Urgent Appeal to several United Nations Special Rapporteurs and now we are now attending the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York! Amnesty International has also made a public statement on the recent events at Porgera.

Corporate Social Responsibility Rules for Mining Industry Blasted: Barrick Gold Implicated
by Lee BerthiaumeEmbassy Magazine
April 1st, 2009
The Conservative government has rejected joint civil society-private sector calls to tie diplomatic and economic support for Canadian oil, gas and mining companies operating in developing countries to socially responsible conduct abroad. As a result, there are charges the government�allegedly influenced by mining giant Barrick Gold and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce�has given the green light for misbehaviour abroad, and killed the temporary peace between NGOs and mining companies.

Indigenous Peoples Want Global Moratorium on Mining, Other Extractive Projects
by JO VILLANUEVABulatat
March 28th, 2009
The united voice of the indigenous peoples swept from continent to continent in 37 countries calling their respective governments to stop large-scale mining and other extractive activities (oil and gas projects) in their indigenous lands until effective measures to safeguard their rights and the environment are in place.

UN to tackle mercury menace
by MICHAEL RICHARDSONThe Canberra Times
March 3rd, 2009
Fear sparked by global recession, strains on banks and volatile paper currencies has brought the glitter back to gold. Its value has been rising rapidly in recent months, as investors seek a safe-haven from the economic and financial storm.

Middle East & Africa: Mining � Tarnishing Canada�s name
Ethical Corporation
February 10th, 2009
With many African mining firms about to face bankruptcy, foreign investors� ability to creating sustainable mining communities will be tested. Shielded from public view by their giant rivals BHP Billiton and AngloAmerican, a cluster of small Canadian firms has quietly revolutionised African mining.

The Real Price of Gold
by Brook LarmerNational Geographic
February 10th, 2009
Like many of his Inca ancestors, Juan Apaza is possessed by gold. Descending into an icy tunnel 17,000 feet up in the Peruvian Andes, the 44-year-old miner stuffs a wad of coca leaves into his mouth to brace himself for the inevitable hunger and fatigue. For 30 days each month Apaza toils, without pay, deep inside this mine dug down under a glacier above the world's highest town, La Rinconada. For 30 days he faces the dangers that have killed many of his fellow miners�explosives, toxic gases, tunnel collapses�to extract the gold that the world demands.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund drops yet another mining investment; this time it's Barrick
by Dorothy KosichMineweb
February 2nd, 2009
A dispute over the riverine disposal methods utilized by Barrick's Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea has prompted Norway's Ministry of Finance to drop Barrick from Norway's Government Pension Fund-Global investments, valued at $188.3 million.

Is Gold the duddest of dud investments?
Commodity Online
February 2nd, 2009
Everyone is buying gold. The frantic pace with which people are buying gold have prompted some to comment that gold has lost value as a commodity. According to Merrill Lynch, gold is "the duddest of dud investments." Ever since the U.S. dollar went off the gold standard, gold has had no special value as a commodity, with only 280 tons going to industrial uses per year.

All that glitters
by Alex Felipe (photos by Alex Felipe as well)This Magazine
Admitting that I was a Canadian has never been as difficult as when I traveled to the Philippines to photograph two Canadian-owned open-pit mining sites last winter. The fact that I am also Filipino by blood didn't help.

Worst Companies in the World: US, Monsanto, Peabody and Barrick
by Brenda NorrellThe Narcosphere
The United States was voted the Worst Company in the World, followed by Monsanto, Peabody Energy Corp. and Barrick Gold

Someone Else's Treasure: photo exhibit by Allan Cedillo Lissner
October 15th, 2008
Please join Toronto based photographer Allan Cedillo Lissner to discuss Someone Else's Treasure, an ongoing documentary project shedding light on the experiences of people around the world � including the Philippines, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Chile, and Canada � whose lives have been impacted by the global mining industry.

US and Canada Found Guilty of Racism
by Haider RizvinInter Press Service
August 8th, 2008
UNITED NATIONS - The international community now fully recognises the native peoples' right to protect their lands and live distinct lifestyles. Yet, most of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples continue to face abuse and injustices at the hands of state authorities and commercial concerns.

ACTION ALERT: Protesters Demand Accountability Outside Barrick Gold's AGM
May 6th, 2008
On 6 May protesters gathered outside Barrick Gold's Annual General Meeting to protest the companies destructive mining operations around the world.

Paradise Lost
The mining company Barrick Gold made millions of dollars by mining copper, silver, and gold on the tropical paradise island of Marinduque in the Philippines. The poverty-stricken local population was left with an environmental and health catastrophe. The canadian company is now fighting in the courts to avoid having to clean up.

Pension fund stake spurs controversy
Aftenposten English Web Desk
Norway's much-vaunted pension fund, which has a stated policy of ethical investments, owns stock in a Canadian mining company accused of polluting an island in the Philippines and causing severe health problems among its residents.

Canada's Mining Companies: It's the Government's Turn
by EDITORIALEmbassy, May 23rd, 2007
Here is a good editorial piece by Embassy magazine. It is too bad Embassy got TVI Pacific's name wrong (as many still do), and that the editors seemed not to know that it was actually the testimony of local people before a parliamentary committee against TVI Pacific that ended up in the CSR Roundtables. Not to mention the fact that the parliamentary committee in fact tasked the Canadian Government with investigating TVI pacific and that the government declined! Nonetheless, it is the first piece I have seen that at least links TVI Pacific and he CSR Roundtables.

Philippines Orders Cleanup of Mines Before Rains
by Dolly Aglay REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
MANILA - The Philippines said on Tuesday it had ordered owners of two mining areas in the country to clean up and improve their infrastructures before the start of the rainy season.

 

Join our e-mail list