News Roundup 06 February 2023
Feb 06, 2023 • 4 min Read
After tense week, mining firm says exploration activities on Sibuyan Island on hold | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Altai Philippines Mining Corp. said Monday that it is stopping its “exploration and testing activities” in Sibuyan Island, Romblon that prompted residents to put up a barricade to register their opposition to mining.
The announcement comes after the company’s trucks, assisted by the Philippine National Police, broke through a line of people who wanted to block them from leaving with nickel ore. The mining company said over the weekend that it had a right to seek police assistance against the residents.
“We have decided to voluntarily halt all exploration and testing activities in Sibuyan Island and to continue our full cooperation and coordination with the relevant authorities to address any concerns or issues that have been raised,” AMPC said in a statement.
AMPC stressed that maintaining peace and order and ensuring the concerns and welfare of the residents of the island are their priority.
It said that they will take the opportunity to “address all recent concerns brought up against our Sibuyan exploration.”
“We look forward to working with all stakeholders to resolve any outstanding concerns,” it continued.
Full Story at: After tense week, mining firm says exploration activities on Sibuyan Island on hold | Philstar.com
Hontiveros seeks Senate probe into mining in Sibuyan | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros is seeking a Senate investigation into the mining activities on Sibuyan Island in Romblon in the hopes that the government will conserve the island’s flora and fauna and protect its residents from ecological devastation.
Hontiveros filed Resolution 459 on Monday, days after the local police forcibly dispersed anti-mining residents who formed a barricade to stop trucks carrying nickel ore from leaving the island. The incident left two residents injured.
Sibuyanons are resisting the activities of Altai Philippines Mining Company (APMC), saying that mining has no place in a small island ecosystem. They fear mining activities, if allowed to continue, will damage Sibuyan’s forests and river systems, and disrupt the lives of locals.
“We, in the Senate, should help champion the conservation of the island’s endemic flora and fauna, defend its coastal communities from long-term ecological devastation, and protect the residents from violent incursions of mining companies,” Hontiveros said.
Full Story at: Hontiveros seeks Senate probe into mining in Sibuyan | Philstar.com
Galvez pitches Edca to LGUs | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. is hopeful that local government units (LGUs) will support the latest agreement between the Philippines and the United States on American troops’ access to more military bases in the country, saying it is “not just about security” but also for economic growth.
The Philippines and the United States announced last week that they agreed on four new locations in “strategic areas” where Americans will have access under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca). However, officials declined to identify the sites pending consultations with the local communities.
“It is our fervent hope that our LGUs will also realize that the Edca is not just about security,” Galvez said in a statement on Sunday.
“We enjoin them to look into the potential foreign investments and economic development that Edca sites will bring to their communities as well as the enhancement of the protection of our areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the quicker disaster response and mitigation if our front-liners are called to action,” he added.
Full Story at: Galvez pitches Edca to LGUs | Inquirer News
Israeli scientists develop sniffing robot with locust antennae | INQUIRER.NET – TEL AVIV, Israel — A new sniffing robot equipped with a biological sensor that uses the antennae of locusts could help advance disease diagnosis and improve security checks, its Israeli developers said.
Locusts have an acute sense of smell, which the researchers in Tel Aviv University have managed to harness to their bio-hybrid robot, making it far more sensitive than existing electronic sniffers, they said.
Locusts smell with their antennae. On the four-wheeled robot, the researchers placed the insect’s antenna between two electrodes that send electrical signals as a response to a nearby odor. Each scent has a unique signature which, with machine learning, the robot’s electronic system can identify.
“Ultimately, we are trying to create a robot with a sense of smell that will be able to distinguish between smells and to locate them in space,” said Neta Shvil of the Sagol School of Neuroscience.Full Story at: Israeli scientists develop sniffing robot with locust antennae | Inquirer News
