Benguet Corporation

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Benguet Corporation
Founded1903  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Founders
  • Nelsen Peterson
  • Harry C. Clyde
  • M. M. Clarke
[1]
Headquarters Makati
Area served
Philippines
Key people
Daniel Andrew Romualdez (Chairman)
Benjamin Philip Romualdez, Jr. (CEO)
Website benguetcorp.com

Benguet Corporation is a diversified Philippine business enterprise. Founded in 1903 as the Benguet Consolidated Mining Company [2] by three American G.I.s following the Philippine-American War, [1] it is the oldest mining company in the country. The company operates gold mines in Benguet province and Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; chromite mines in Masinloc, Zambales; and copper mines in San Marcelino, Zambales. [3]

Contents

Activities

Old Gold & quartz specimen from a Benguet Corp. Mine Gold & quartz (Benguet Consolidated Gold Mine, Philippines) 1 (17183424415).jpg
Old Gold & quartz specimen from a Benguet Corp. Mine

The company is mainly active in the mining industry, yet has come to incorporate other activities including forestry/reforestation, chemical testing and research, ecotourism, trucking and warehousing, heavy equipment leasing, trading and real estate. [4]

Incidents

In August 2016, the Benguet Corporation was facing a $500,000 fine for tailings leak from its old Antamok mine in Itogon, which resulted in the pollution of the Agno, Liang, and Ambalanga rivers. [5] In September 2018, the trial against Benguet was still going on, the defense arguing that leaks were a result of natural causes and thus Benguet should not be held accountable for the heavy water pollution of the area. [6]

In 2017, Benguet was also called for by the local media for being responsible of the polluting leaks affecting the Dizon mine. The company denied all implications, arguing it was only active at the mine from 1975 to 1995. [7]

In September 2018, the Benguet Corporation also faced claims that it was encouraging small-scale and illegal mining operations at the Itogon mine, officially inactive since 1990. The Itogon mine had just been hit a major landslide that caused 10 deaths and 50-60 missing persons. The Benguet Corporation denied encouraging the presence of the illegal gold diggers. [8]

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References

  1. 1 2 Ramos, Patria P. (1989). "Social Conditions in the Mining Industry: The Case of Benguet Corporation". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. University of San Carlos Publications. 17 (2): 107–128. ISSN   0115-0243. JSTOR   29791973 . Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  2. "About Us". Benguet Corporation. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  3. "Benguet Corporation" (PDF). Securities and Exchange Commission . Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  4. "Benguet Corporation". Benguet Corporation. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  5. Raymond Dullana, Benguet Corp faces P24-M fine for tailings leak in old mine, Rappler, November 22, 2016 (accessed on June 10, 2019)
  6. Lauren Alimondo, Benguet Corporation fined, Sun Star Baguio, September 3, 2018 (accessed on June 10, 2019)
  7. Ronnel W. Domingo, Benguet Corp. denies role in Zambales mine ordeal, Inquirer, April 7, 2017 (accessed on June 10, 2019)
  8. Gabriel Pabico Lalu, Benguet Corp. denies it encouraged small-scale mining in Itogon, Inquirer, September 18, 2018 (accessed on 2019)