Baladad & Quitalig 2016 Thesis

GOLD-PLATED PROGRESS:
EXPLORING STAKEHOLDER DISCOURSES

SURROUNDING MINING IN LOBO
ANNE KATHLYN A. BALADAD

QUEENCEE COLLEEN L. QUITALIG
COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
DECEMBER 2016
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Research

Gold-Plated Progress: Exploring Stakeholder Discourses Surrounding Mining in Lobo
Thesis Adviser:
Professor Ma. Rosel San Pascual, MA
College of Mass Communication
University of the Philippines
Date of Submission
19 December 2016
Thesis Classification:
F
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College of Mass Communication
University of the Philippines
GOLD-PLATED PROGRESS:
EXPLORING STAKEHOLDER DISCOURSES SURROUNDING MINING IN LOBO
by
has been approved for

the Department of Communication Research
and the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication
by
Professor Ma. Rosel San Pascual, MA
Professor Elena Pernia, PhD

Dean, College of Mass Communication
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
PERSONAL DATA
Name
Anne Kathlyn A. Baladad
Permanent Address
47 Kasayahan Street, Kawilihan Village,

Bagong Ilog, Pasig City
Telephone Number
(+639) 176-811-599
Date of Birth
15 June 1994
EDUCATION
Secondary Level
Pasig City Science High School, NCR
Primary Level
St. Paul College of Pasig, NCR
ORGANIZATIONS
UP Interschool Business Association
WORK EXPERIENCE
Volunteer Researcher, Kalikasan Peoples Network

for the Environment (Jun 2015 present)
Writer Editor, MicroSourcing Inc. (Apr-Jun 2014)
ACHIEVEMENTS
AY 2012-2013, 2nd Semester, College Scholar,

AY 2013-2014, 1st & 2nd Semesters, College Scholar,
AY 2014-2015, 1st Semester, College Scholar,
AY 2014-2015, 2nd Semester, University Scholar,
AY 2015-2016, 1st & 2nd Semesters, College Scholar
PERSONAL DATA
Name
Queencee Colleen L. Quitalig
Permanent Address
72 Roxas St., District II, Cauayan City, Isabela
Telephone Number
(+639) 054-512-195
Date of Birth
11 December 1995
EDUCATION
Secondary Level
Cauayan City National High School
Primary Level
Cauayan South Central School
ORGANIZATIONS
UP Communication Research Society

UP CMC Interdependent Student-Centered Activism
WORK EXPERIENCE
Writer, Purveyr
Editorial Assistant, Fil-Chi Media Productions
ACHIEVEMENTS

AY 2015-2016, 1st Semester, College Scholar
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This thesis would not have materialized without the support and insights of key
individuals.
First and foremost, our Thesis Adviser Prof. Ma. Rosel San Pascual, who served
as both critic and guide, inspired us to remain headstrong in our pursuit of this research.
We would also like to thank Dr. Elena Pernia for her support in designing this study, and
Dr. Fernando Paragas for serving as our pillar when the challenges of this field felt
insurmountable. Without the three of you, we would not have appreciated the beauty and
social significance of Communication Research.
We also wish to thank Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment,
BUKAL Batangas, the Lobo Water District, and the individuals who shared their time
and knowledge in making this thesis possible. Your invaluable insights are the backbone
of this research, and your passion for your cause drives us to further our own advocacies.
To our parents, we thank you for your unwavering support in every possible
aspect as you witnessed both our challenges and victories in achieving this degree. We
hope to make you proud.
Most importantly, we would like to thank the Almighty Father, the reason for our
pursuits. Your grace is our lighthouse, giving us direction and unfaltering hope when the
journey ahead seems unclear. You give us the strength to keep taking another step
forward, without knowing we had already conquered a mountain. We dedicate our lives
and all our ambitions to you.
DEDICATION
To our parents,
Bernadette and Abraham Baladad, Jr.,
Ma. Gracia Preciosa and Armando Quitalig,
for instilling in us
the desire to pursue things
bigger than ourselves.
ABSTRACT
Baladad, A.K. and Quitalig, Q.C. (2016). Gold-Plated Progress: Exploring Stakeholder
Discourses Surrounding Mining in Lobo, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University
of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
This discourse study looked into whether the primary concerns of four
stakeholders (i.e., directly affected residents (DAR), the local government unit (LGU),
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Mindoro Resources
Ltd. (MRL) and their subsidiary Egerton Gold Phils., Inc. (EGPI)) converge toward a
particular purpose in terms of the proposed gold-mining project in the Municipality of
Lobo in Batangas. Specifically, it aimed to determine whether the dominant concerns
mirrored those of the DAR. Its theoretical anchors are Stakeholder Analysis, Critical
Discourse Analysis, and Relational Control. Interviews and a focus group discussion
were conducted to supplement the public documents released by the stakeholders. While
the discourses converged in genre, the topics that were emphasized barely exhibited
parallelism. Only the LGU and the company shared similar themes in their documents.
Most believed the LGU and the MRL are the most powerful stakeholders, given their
political authority and control over information. The stakeholders language in their
documents exhibited patterns of dominance and competition, with some evidence of
submission in the DARs letters. Overall, while the general discourse centered on the
triad of social acceptability, economic benefits, and environmental impact, the specific
concerns of the DAR are not fully mirrored by the other three stakeholders.
ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title Page
University Permission Page
ii
Approval Sheet Page
iii
Biographical Data Page
iv
Acknowledgments
vi
Dedication
vii
Abstract
viii
Table of Contents
ix
List of Tables
xii
List of Matrices
xii
List of Figures
xiii
I.
INTRODUCTION
A. The Philippine Mining Act of 1995
B. Acquiring a Mineral Processing Permit in the Philippines
C. Ecological and Social Impacts of Large-Scale Mining
D. MRL-EGPI in Lobo, Batangas
E. The Issue
13
F. Research Problem Statement
14
G. General Objective
14
H. Specific Objectives
14
I. Significance of the Study
15
x
II.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
16
A. Stakeholder Identification and Their Interests
16
B. Discourse Surrounding Stakeholder Negotiations
19
C. Public Participation and Participatory Development Communication
23
D. Synthesis
26
III. STUDY FRAMEWORK

A. Theoretical Framework
28
B. Conceptual Framework
32
C. Operational Framework
36
IV. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
V.
28
40
A. Research Design and Methods
40
B. Concepts and Indicators
40
C. Research Instrument
42
D. Units of Analysis and Sampling
43
E. Data Gathering and Budget
43
F. Data Analysis
44
G. Scope and Limitations
45
H. The Researchers
45
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
46
A. Inventory of Documents
48
B. Dominant Concerns of Each Stakeholder
52
C. Language, Topic/s Emphasized, and Patterns of Interaction
64
D. Social Power
67
xi
E. Discourse Convergence and Divergence
VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
74
94
102
A. Theoretical Issues
102
B. Methodological Issues
104
C. Practical Issues
105
BIBLIOGRAPHY
107
APPENDIX
115
xii
LIST OF TABLES
Number
Title
Page
Concepts from Van Dijks CDA (2005)
38
Concepts, Indicators and Research Methods for Objective 1
40
Concepts, Indicators and Research Methods for Objective 2
41
Inventory of Published Documents for Determining Discourse

Structure
48
Template for Inventory of Published Documents for Determining

Discourse Structure
117
Word Count
135
LIST OF MATRICES
Number
Title
Page
Themes in Economic Discourse
76
Themes in Social Discourse
81
Themes in Political Discourse
84
Themes in Environmental Discourse
87
Data Analysis Matrix (Discourse Genre)
118
Data Analysis Matrix (Language)
121
Data Analysis Matrix (Topic/s Emphasized)
124
Data Analysis Matrix (Interview Memos)
130
xiii
LIST OF FIGURES
Number
Title
Page
Requirements and Procedure for MPP Acquisition
Map of Lobo, Batangas
10
Project Site of Proposed Lobo Mine
12
The Interactions and Convergence of Stakeholder Discourses
35
Flow and Purposes of Communication Across Stakeholders
74
Overlaps According to Economic Discourse
80
Overlaps According to Social Discourse
83
Overlaps According to Political Discourse
86
Overlaps According to Environmental Discourse
90
10
Discourse Convergence and Divergence
93
1
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
The Philippines' natural resources - plants, animals, and minerals - are among the
most diverse in the world (NewCAPP, n.d.). Out of the countrys 30 million hectares, 9
million were identified as having high metallic mineral potential worth nearly $840
billion (World Bank, 2010). According to the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB, 2015), the Philippines is the
fifth most mineral-rich country in the world for gold, nickel, copper, and chromite.
The term mining operation refers to mining activities involving exploration,
feasibility, development, utilization, and processing. Mineral processing is the milling,
beneficiation, or upgrading of ores or minerals and rocks, or by similar means to convert
the same into marketable products (The Philippine Mining Act, 1995). These processed
metals are used in elements of everyday life, such as infrastructure, transportation,
scientific and electronic instruments, jewelry and arts, among others (National Mining
Association, 2015).
Despite our relatively small geographical size, the Philippines ranks third in the
world in terms of gold production, with the 2014 estimated gold production value at
PhP32.97 billion (24% of total metallic mineral production value) (DENR-MGB, 2015).
In the 2010 Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI), gold ore
establishments dominated the industry, comprising 14.5% (16 establishments) of all
mining and quarrying activity in the country. In 2014, the mines and quarrying industry
accounted for 0.6% of total labor and employment in the Philippines (DENR-MGB,
2015).
2
The mining and processing of the countrys mineral wealth has the potential for
employment, economic growth, and industrialization. However, the mining industry also
brings with it ecological and social impacts, such as the 1996 Marcopper, 2005 Rapurapu, and 2012 Philex mining disasters (Cinco, 2013; Coumans, n,d,; Sarmiento, 2012).
Given these advantages and disadvantages, the implementation of proper laws and
regulations is needed to both organize and monitor mineral processing in the country.
In 1995, then-President Fidel V. Ramos signed into law Republic Act No. 7942, or the
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, which is the primary law that regulates the Philippine
large-scale mining industry.
A. The Philippine Mining Act of 1995
The Mining Act gives the state control for granting mineral rights in the country.
Given that the state owns all natural resources in the Philippines, the state may grant
mining rights over an area to a party other than the owner of surface rights (De Leon, Jr.,
2013), while regulation of the mining industry is carried out by the DENR-MGB. The
Act encourages the large-scale extraction and processing of mineral ore for national
development, and is supported by the PhP231.8 million annual government subsidy.
Almost three percent of the countrys total land area is covered by mining tenements
(DENR-MGB, 2015).
The Act contains a provision that the government, through the DENR-MGB, has
the right to enter an FTAA (Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement) with foreignowned companies for mining operations in the Philippines (Bernas, 2013). In line with
this, Tujan and Guzman (2002) reported that the Philippine large-scale mining industry is
predominantly export-oriented, due to the country's insufficient local science and
3
technology for efficiently exploiting its mineral potential. Mineral and mineral product
export comprised 6.5% of total exports in 2014 (DENR-MGB, 2016). The Supreme
Court supported the Act's provision for foreign ownership of mining assets and
exploration permits in 2004.
Certain large-scale mining operations in the country are either partially to
completely foreign-owned, such as Oceana Gold (Australian), Philco Mining (Canadian),
Hinatuan Mining (Filipino-Chinese), and St. Augustine Gold and Copper Mining Limited
(American), to name a few (Holden and Jacobson, 2012, as cited in Holden, 2015).
Previously, foreign mining companies partnered with local counterparts in order to
circumvent the law requiring 60% Filipino ownership. With the Philippine Mining Act of
1995, however, complete foreign ownership of mining operations is now constitutional
under Philippine Law. The Mining Act also outlines the requirements and process for
gaining mining rights in the Philippines for both Filipino-owned and foreign-owned
mining corporations.
B. Acquiring a Mineral Processing Permit in the Philippines
Under the Mining Act, the state is able to grant mining rights to a private party
through the various types of permits and agreements (De Leon Jr., 2013). Mineral
Agreements apply to corporations that are 60-100% Filipino-owned, while the FTAA is
available to corporations that are less than 60% Filipino-owned or are 100% foreignowned (Philippine Mining Act, 1995).
1. Exploration permit open to any individual or corporation qualified by the
Mining Act; grants them the right to explore; may be converted to a mineral
4
agreement or FTAA if exploration activities indicate significant resource
discovery
2. Mineral Agreement available only to Philippine citizens or to corporations at
least 60% Filipino-owned; grants the right to conduct large-scale mining
operations in a given area; may be in the form of:
o Mineral Production-Sharing Agreement (MPSA) the state grants to the
contractor the exclusive right to conduct mining operations using their
own resources, and shares in the gross output
o Co-production Agreement the state provides inputs to the mining
operations aside from the mineral resource
o Joint Venture Agreement both parties have equity shares, and the state
also has a share in the gross output
3. Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement available to non-Philippine
citizens or corporations not meeting minimum Philippine ownership; equivalent
of Mineral Agreement
4. Mineral Processing Permit (MPP) open to domestic and foreign corporations;
refers to the permit to conduct mining operations, such as milling, beneficiation,
leaching, smelting, cyanidation, calcination, or upgrading of ores, minerals, rocks,
mill tailings, mine wastes, and/or other metallurgical by-products
5. Other requirements in acquiring mineral rights (Minerals Development Council,
2007) (see Figure 1)
o Proof of consultation from Local Government Units (LGUs) under the
Local Government Code of 1991 (RA No. 7160), the national government
5
must consult with LGUs (or Sangguniang Bayan, the local legislative
council) regarding projects/programs that may cause pollution, climate
change, depletion of non-renewable resources (e.g. minerals), loss of
cropland, rangeland or forest cover, and extinction of animal or plant
species. They must explain to the LGUs the project goals and objectives,
impacts upon the people in terms of environmental and ecological balance,
and measures to be used to prevent/minimize the adverse effects. No
project or program shall be undergone without prior approval of the
Sanggunian at the provincial (vice-governor), municipal (vice-mayor), and
barangay (barangay captains) levels. Proof of consultation shall be in the
form of:
Copies of pertinent Exploration and Environmental Work

Programs received by Secretary of all Sanggunian, or Office of the
Vice-Mayor or Vice-Governor concerned, or
Certification of project presentation, signed by Vice-Governor,

Vice-Mayor, or Secretary of the Sanggunian.
o Certificate of Environmental Management and Community Relations

Board (CEMCR)
o Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC)
o Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program
o Final Mine Rehabilitation and/or Decommissioning Plan
6
Figure 1. Requirements and Procedure for MPP Acquisition
Source: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences

Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2016, from http://mgb12.net/files/PFMPP.pdf
7
C. Ecological and Social Impacts of Large-Scale Mining
Since different sectors are involved in and affected by the process of acquiring
mining rights, it is imperative to identify the stakeholders involved in the communication
process. Stakeholders are individuals or groups of people who affect or are affected by
certain decisions and actions in a given situation (Freeman, 1984, as cited in Prell, et. al.,
2009; Grimble & Wellard, 1996). Some stakeholders in mining operations have been
identified in the previous sections, and are shown in Figure 1:
the state (through the DENR) as the owner and regulator of natural resources;
local government units (through Vice-Governor, Vice-Mayor, and

Sangguniang Bayan) as declared by the Local Government Code; and
the interested mining corporation.
Other studies have identified other key sectors in the discourse, such as the
directly affected resident community (Arnstein, 1969; Edmunds & Wollenburg, 2002;
Flor & Kheerajit, 2013; Hostettler, 2014; Tang-Lee, 2015; Walter & Martinez-Alier,
2010). As the inhabitants of or close to the area to be mined, they are economically,
environmentally, and socially affected by mining. The World Bank and the Canadian
International Development Research Center (IDRC) reported that increased consultation
and participation of local communities are needed to ensure safe and sustainable mining
practices, and to prevent escalated corporate-community conflict (IDRC, 2001, as cited in
Triscritti, 2013).
Philippine mining history shows cases in which residents claims were neglected.
An example of such is the Marcopper Mining Disaster of 1996 in Marinduque.
Marcopper is a subsidiary of Canadian company Placer Dome. A fracture in the tailings
8
pits drainage tunnel sent toxic mine waste into the Makulapnit-Boac river system,
making the 27km river unusable (Gregory, 2004). This meant loss of the main source of
livelihood for those who did not work for Marcopper. Barangay Hinapulan was buried in
six feet of muddy floodwater, which caused 400 families to lose their homes. The river
system was also found to have high levels of zinc and water contamination (Coumans,
1999). Residents also complained of skin irritation and respiratory problems caused by
mine waste chemicals. Marcopper insisted the tailings were non-toxic. The residents of
Marinduque had attempted to get their voices heard, but their claims against Marcopper
were allegedly ignored during the mining operation (Gregory, 2004).
In Davao del Sur, the residents of the remote village of Bong Mal were evicted by
Anglo-Swiss large-scale mining company Xstrata and its Filipino subsidiary Sagittarius
Mines, Inc. (SMI) (SOCCSKSARGENDS Agenda, 2011). Most of the families, who had
reportedly been living in the area for several generations, have now been displaced for
the gold and copper buried in their lands.
One of the most infamous disasters in more recent history is the 2012 Philex
Mining Corporations Padcal mine spill in Itogon, Benguet. The tailings spill was the
result of heavy rain and accumulated tailings that caused the dam to overflow and crack
(An Independent Fact-Finding Mission Report, 2012). Despite Philex Minings claim that
it had been practicing responsible mining, the effect of 20.6 million metric tons of spilled
Philex mine waste left families within the vicinity and downriver communities with toxic
substances in their water sources, fish-kill affecting loss of livelihood, and a higher
likelihood of flooding (Salamat, 2012a & 2012b).
9
D. MRL-EGPI in Lobo, Batangas
The town of Lobo in Batangas, which is the primary focus of this study, faced the
same prospect of bearing the impacts of large-scale mining operations. CanadianAustralian mining company Mindoro Resources Ltd. (MRL) operated locally through
Philippine-owned subsidiary MRL Gold, Inc. The latter had a Mineral Production
Sharing Agreement with Philippine-owned Egerton Gold Phils., Inc. (EGPI) for gold and
copper reserves in Batangas, with MRL Gold having the right to 75% interest in the
mining project. The partnership had two high-potential, gold-copper proposals in the
Philippines - the Lobo Mine and Archangel, both in Batangas. EGPI had two existing
Mineral Production Sharing Agreements for gold and copper exploration (valid from
2002-2027) in Lobo, each covering 1,163.62 and 1,011.54 hectares (DENR-MGB, 2016).
Lobo is a third-class municipality in the south-west of Batangas Province (Region
IVA-CALABARZON). Its total land area is 175.03 square kilometers, and population is
about 37,070 (PSA, 2010). Thirty-five percent of the population reside in urban areas,
while the remaining 65% are in rural areas.
10
Figure 2. Map of Lobo, Batangas
Source: Conservation International Philippines

The municipality of Lobo rests on a mountainous region along the coastline of
Batangas, and is home to both coastal and agricultural communities. Lobo is also fifth
among the 18 most biodiverse areas in the entire country (DENR, 1997). The
municipality was declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA) by the MPA Support Network
(2014), with its three fish sanctuary, refuge areas, and one mangrove forest conservation
area.
Lobo is also contiguous to the Verde Island Passage, popularly known as the
center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world (Carpenter & Springer, 2005). It
must be noted that Executive Order 79 contains a provision that indicates areas with fish,
refuge, and sanctuaries, as well as critical areas and island ecosystems, must be protected
from mining. It remains, however, that the Verde Island Passage is not protected from
mining by the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS, RA 7586), and
11
MPAs like Lobo are not explicitly listed as an exemption within the Mining Act
(Philippine Mining Act, 1995; Protecting Verde Island Passage, 2015).
In addition to its surrounding biodiversity, the Lobo community rests atop a
smattering of gold, copper, and pyrite deposits, which are sought by MRL-EGPI. EGPI
had been conducting exploration activities in the area since 2003, which involved drilling
173 one-kilometer-deep holes across four barangays. In 2015, MRL-EGPI was in the
process of applying for a Mineral Processing Permit (MPP) from DENR.
EGPIs Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) revealed that while only 5
hectares were to be used for the mining site and other facilities, the project itself would
have directly affected 5 barangays: Mabilog na Bundok (529.49 hectares), Sawang
(586.86 hectares), Soloc (695.87 hectares), Nagtaluntong (718.89 hectares), and
Nagtoctoc (872.87 hectares) (see Figure 3).
In 2015, EGPI started the application process for the Environmental Compliance
Certification (ECC) from the DENR. The Lobo Sangguniang Bayan (Lobo SB) initially
endorsed the project, but later retracted the endorsement. Online news articles covering
the issue in Lobo claim that the residents were not properly consulted when the Lobo SB,
composed of the Lobo Vice-Mayor and nine barangay captains, endorsed the Mineral
Production Sharing Agreement between EGPI and MRL (Jimeno, 2015). Benaning
(2015) reported that Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, along with the Coalition for
the Preservation of Verde Island Passage: No to Mining in Lobo!, denounced the Lobo
SB members behind the endorsement. The endorsement was revoked in July 2015, and
was met with mixed reactions from groups: a petition was filed in August 2015 by 1,200
Lobo residents claiming the mining projects social acceptability (Folks of Batangas
12
Locality, 2015), while environmental groups called for total cancellation of all mining
proposals in Batangas (De Vera, 2015). In 2016, DENR Secretary Regina Lopez, a
staunch anti-mining advocate prior to her appointment, denied EGPIs ECC application,
due to the projects incompatibility with the areas biodiversity.
Figure 3. Project Site of Proposed Lobo Mine
Source: Environmental Impact Assessment: Proposed Gold Mining Operations Project

Under Lobo MPSA 176-2002-IV (Tech.). (2016). Egerton Gold Phils.
13
E. The Issue
In 2016, the large-scale metallic mining industry had a 2014 gross production
value of PhP137.6 billion (DENR-MGB, 2016). Aside from the estimated 0.7% or
PhP85.9 billion contribution to the 2014 national GDP, the minerals industry also
provided direct and indirect employment to 235,000 workers (0.6% of total employment)
in the same year (DENR-MGB, 2016). However, Philippine mining history presents the
flip-side of the industry. Community health, sources of livelihood, agriculture, plant life,
and wildlife are put at risk in mining areas.
The mining industry is essential to national and technological development,
creates job opportunities for Filipino citizens, and brings ecological and social impacts.
Given the multi-faceted effects of the industry, parties across different sectors take part in
the discourse surrounding mining operations in the Philippines. The key stakeholders
have been identified: DENR-MGB, local government units in the provincial, municipal,
and barangay levels, the mining company, and the residents of directly impacted areas of
mining operations. Given the apparent differences in opinion towards the mining
proposal among these stakeholders, the researchers are interested in mapping out the
discourses involved in the ECC acquisition of MRL-EGPI in the Municipality of Lobo in
Batangas. Specifically, the study tackles how the directly affected residents voices are
considered in the discourses surrounding MRL-EGPIs mining permit acquisition in the
Municipality of Lobo in Batangas.
14
F. Research Problem Statement
How are the directly affected residents voices considered in the discourses
surrounding MRL-EGPIs Mineral Processing Permit acquisition in the Municipality of
Lobo in Batangas?
G. General Objective
To gauge the social power held by the stakeholders by looking into the public
discourses surrounding permit-acquisition in the Municipality of Lobo in Batangas.
H. Specific Objectives
1. To determine and compare each stakeholders discourse context and structure.
a. To inventory each stakeholders published documents, summaries, and
minutes of meetings.
b. To determine each stakeholders dominant concerns regarding mining in
published documents, summaries, and minutes of meetings according to:
i. genre (economic, social, political, and environmental),
ii. language (technical jargon used, medium), and
iii. topic/s emphasized.
iv. patterns of interaction (dominance, competition, submission)
c. To find out through key-informant interviews each stakeholder's social power
according to their:
i. overall definition of the situation,
ii. kind of meeting,
iii. initiator of meeting, and
iv. level of participation.
15
2. To determine overlaps (if any) in the different stakeholders discourses, and
determine if and to what extent the directly affected residents concerns are
considered by the other stakeholders.
I. Significance of the Study
Natural resource management and large-scale projects inevitably entail multistakeholder communication. In studying the content and context of communication
events like the Lobo mining proposal, the insights of this study may be used in
developing a model for establishing efficient, harmonious, and mutually beneficial
relationships among the stakeholders involved. With such a model, conflicts among
stakeholder interests may be reduced, if not eradicated completely. Stakeholders may also
arrive at decisions more speedily with a communication framework, which may even
reduce additional costs in delay for interested companies.
The study also presents valuable knowledge on the overall nature of multistakeholder negotiations in the Philippines, given that there is insufficient local literature
that addresses this topic. Aside from contributing to local knowledge, this research on the
relationship between host communities, local and national government, and private
foreign companies lends insight into how laws should be written and amended in favor of
the local residents that make up the nation.
Theories used in this study were used to complement one another. Multistakeholder discourse analysis was found to be more comprehensive when employed with
Relational Control (Rogers & Farace, 1973). This approach is suggested for future studies
that wish to analyze multi-stakeholder discourse with a focus on disadvantaged groups.
16
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Freeman (1984) defined stakeholders as individuals who affect or are affected
by certain decisions and actions (as cited in Prell, et. al., 2009, p. 515). Grimble and
Wellard (1996) used a similar definition, any group of people, organized or
unorganized, who share a common interest or stake in a particular issue of system (p.
175). Stakeholders can be clustered according to their similarity in views or position/s on
an issue, how they are affecting or are affected by the issue, institutional power, or
jurisdiction (e.g. political authority, financial capability, social capital), among others.
These interests may not be placed in the same order of importance among different
stakeholders. In line with this, Philippine large-scale minings multi-faceted impact to the
economy, environment, and society presents a communication concern different
stakeholders must negotiate conflicting interests, which may not necessarily reflect the
resident communitys demands. In order to address this concern, literature on stakeholder
identification, stakeholder engagement, and participatory communication were reviewed.
A. Stakeholder Identification and Their Interests
One study used social network analysis to identify stakeholders in natural
resource management. Stakeholders identified were those who held the most and
strongest communication ties (social network strength), and subsequently greater
influence in the discussions (Prell, et. al., 2009). The stakeholder categories included
private companies, non-government organizations, and statutory bodies. However, the
study strangely did not include any resident community, or representative of such, as one
of the stakeholder categories. Statutory bodies were also found to have weak social
network strength despite their significant influence over legal decisions on the issue.
17
Additionally, while Prell et. al., (2009) were able to identify the strength of
communication ties between each stakeholder category in the social network, the study
failed to discuss whether this social network strength truly manifested greater influence in
decision-making beyond theoretical bases.
Prell et. al., (2009) also emphasized the importance of analyzing how stakeholders
interact among each other and, more importantly, who interacts with whom. It was
suggested that, most often, the influence of a stakeholder is derived from its
communication strength in a network. Having strong ties among diverse stakeholders
enhances mutual learning and sharing of resources and advice (Crona & Bodin, 2006;
Newman & Dale, 2004, 2007, as cited in Prell et. al., 2009, p. 503), as stakeholders with
strong ties are said to have more influence on one another. Thus, through employing
social network analysis, Prell et. al., (2009) examined the relations among actors, how
actors are positioned within a network, and how relations are structured into overall
network patterns, rather than focusing on their attributes (Scott, 2000; Wasserman &
Faust, 1994; Wellman & Gulia, 1999, as cited in Prell et. al., 2009). However, while this
method of analysis identified the stakeholders that held strong communicative power, it
failed to determine what was communicated, how communication was carried out, and
how actors network positions affected the discussion.
Aside from social network strength, stakeholder characteristics also include their
interests in a given issue. Building on propositions from other studies, Ramirez (2001)
suggests that accommodating multiple interests is an evolving, cyclical, iterative
process (p. 264) that swings back and forth from collaborative to conflictive situations,
and cannot be viewed using a single metaphor. Rather, there are nine contextual factors
18
or facets involved in understanding stakeholder behavior when seeking to
accommodate multiple interests:
1) ownership, which requires the identification of the actors who own the
problem, as well as the nature of the problem and its boundaries,
2) stakeholder salience, which takes into account a stakeholders function of
power (the actors capability to make another actor do something for his benefit),
legitimacy (having desirable, proper, or appropriate actions), and urgency (the degree to
which an actors claims are being attended to),
3) convenor characteristics, which requires any convening group or organization
to have at least two of the three aforementioned stakeholder salience attributes in order to
bring stakeholders together,
4) stakeholder networks, which recognizes the importance of knowing the
networks actors participate in gauging its role and in the negotiations,
5) social actors, which underscores the importance of an actors capacity to share
their knowledge, represent entities, and debate interests,
6) choices, which pertains to the right of stakeholders to choose among different
approaches of dealing with conflict,
7) Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement, which suggests that the powerful
actors motivation to negotiate is to widen their power base,
8) collaboration, which involves the problem-setting, direction-setting, and
implementation phases, and materializes when the actors agree to accommodate multiple
interests, and
19
9) dispute resolution systems, which underscores the importance of having
facilitators and mediators who focus the negotiation around interests rather than
positions.
Apart from providing a way of looking at the aspects of stakeholder behavior,
Ramirez (2001) also stressed the presence and equal importance of conflict and
collaboration in joint decision-making. He proposed that it is through conflict that
negotiations lead to innovative agreements as stakeholders learn new perspectives, ideas,
and ways of doing things, in the process of negotiation. According to Grimble and
Wellard (1996), understanding stakeholders requires not only their identification, the
assessment, and comparison of their interests, but also the examination of conflicts,
compatibilities, and trade-offs among them. Conflict is defined as a situation of
competition and potential disagreement between stakeholders over the use of a particular
resource, while trade-off is a process of negotiation to balance conflicting interests.
Having known such insight regarding conflict and collaboration in joint decisionmaking, the researchers found it appropriate to look into the discourses surrounding
stakeholder negotiations, following the identification of stakeholders and their interests.
This will help in determining whether there is conflict or collaboration, as well as
understanding the particularities of the situation.
B. Discourse Surrounding Stakeholder Negotiations
Large-scale projects conflicting stakeholder interests may include compliance
with national environmental laws, profitability, sharing of water and energy supply,
safety, sustainability, and fairness (Bosh-Rekveldt, et. al., 2016). Stakeholders may
disagree on the relative importance of each interest, which can cause conflict or
20
competition among them. Walter and Martinez-Alier (2010) performed a case-study on
an Argentinian community's action against mining. The study questioned why the
community refused to approve a project that could help them economically, and argues
that the residents' vision for development was not compatible with that of the national
government's mining project, hence the conflict.
Attar and Genus (2014) critical discourse analysis of public meeting transcripts
in the GM Nation? case also exhibited instances of suppressed opinion. Transcripts of
public meetings among the general public revealed that meetings involved a point-person
from each meeting to summarize discussions that took place, which often yielded a single
opinion towards the issue. This meant that the transcript a discursive text (Fairclough,
2005) was mostly a summary of the discussion that contained voices of several
participants, instead of distinct opinions. Attar and Genus (2014) suspect that the
organization of the public meetings intended to find commonalities in opinions for
consensus. Having a point-person summarize points into a common decision changed the
structural context of the discourse (Van Dijk, 2005).
Aside from structural context, framing also influences the understanding of
discursive text (Ellis, et. al., 2007; Walker, et. al., 2011, as cited in Bosch-Rekveldt, et.
al., 2016). In Attar and Genus (2014) analysis, a public consultation document was
criticized for framing the discussion regarding genetic modification within the bounds of
regulation, which automatically assumes that the public approves of genetically modified
crops. Therefore, stakeholders who did not approve were instantly excluded in the
discussion (Magnan, 2006, as cited in Attar & Genus, 2014).
21
Another example was provided by Hostettler (2015) in the case study on the
Tampakan copper-gold project in Cotabato, Philippines, which showed that consultation
meetings were held during the exploration phase of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI), under
Swiss-based Glencore Xstrata. The meetings, however, involved SMI as the decisive
provider of information. The discourse in the consultation meetings were dictated by a
single stakeholder, while the community was merely a receiver of information. Hostettler
(2015) reports that the community also had no clear picture of the impacts of a largescale open-pit mine. He claims that because it was the company that served as the sole
provider of information, the information given was skewed in such a way that would lead
to favorable results for the company (Hostettler, 2015). Providing information has been
noted as the most effective way to gain the support and involvement of individuals and
organizations (Prell, et. al., 2009).
Hostettler (2015) also mentioned that the interviews yielded criticism over the
companys main objective in conducting public consultations: to gain legitimacy for the
project through observance of Philippine Law, rather than to provide genuine
transparency. During the consultations, the residents did not receive adequate feedback
from SMI regarding their concerns.
Taking discursive context and framing and who dictates them into
consideration, it can be said that multi-stakeholder negotiations should never be assumed
to be neutral, and can, in fact, "mask abuses of power and inequity (Edmunds &
Wollenburg, 2002, p. 1). However, it is not only the discursive context and framing that
are used in manipulating transactions. Springett (2003), in her study on the discourse of
sustainable development in New Zealand companies, posited that the definitions assigned
22
to concepts can also become a means of control. It is this intrinsically political potential
of a concepts definition that different groups seek to contest it, control the language, and,
thus, hold claims to domination manipulate the concept to forward their particular
interests (Beder, 1996; Livesey, 2001, as cited in Springett, 2003). In the case of the
discourse of the sustainable development in New Zealand, Springett (2013) observed
that there is a lack of discursivity around the concept, that self-appointed groups gained
leverage and promoted a sanitized agenda of sustainable development to keep it within
the liberal market paradigm. For example, the term sustainable development is
neutralized through associating it to terms such as the triple bottom line, which actually
pertains to full-cost accounting, but not an equivalent for sustainable development in its
radical construction (Gray & Milne, 2002, as cited in Springett, 2003). Some also attempt
to dissipate its power to change the dominant discourse by dismissing it as a vacuous
term that cannot be encapsulated into a single definition. It is, then, contested by the
critics that the definition of the term is being used to cover for unacceptable practices
(Paehlke, 1999, as cited in Springett, 2003).
It should be recognized, then, that disadvantaged groups in this case, the
directly affected residents are limited by their social status, representation in
discussions, and negotiating capacities, and are prone to being manipulated through the
language used in the negotiations.
Since the researchers recognize the existence of inequality in multi-stakeholder
negotiations and that the public or directly-affected residents are often the ones who are
underrepresented and abused, they also reviewed previous studies on the public
23
participation approach, which emphasizes the role and significance of the community as a
stakeholder.
C. Public Participation and Participatory Development Communication
Tang-Lee (2016) defines public participation as "mechanisms
intentionally instituted to involve the lay public or their representatives in decisionmaking, rather than processes emerging from grassroots" (p. 29). She also added that
public participation comes in the form of public hearing, public consultation, the
exercising of rights to information and to justice, decisional transfers, benefit-sharing,
and other bureaucratic processes (Zillman, et. al., 2002, as cited in Tang-Lee, 2016).
Tang-Lee (2016) also highlighted the difference between stakeholder engagement, which
focuses on interest group involvement, and public participation, which has an added
dimension of power distribution.
Jordhus-Lier (2014) employed the same concept of public participation using the
term community participation (p. 170). He suggested that the approach also enables
critical and constructive dialogue, and the limitation of such contributes to resistance
among affected stakeholders (Siyonwana & Mayekiso, 2011; Jordhus-Lier, 2014). He
looked at the chronology of the local community's resistance to a large-scale housing
project in Joe Slovo, Capetown. In his study, the community initially showed resistance
through expression of opinion in statements. They then went from attempting to convince
their local government units to stop the megaproject, to taking legal action, to finally
barricading the trucks when the former two proved futile. Their last move, according to
Jordhus-Lier (2014), was to involve themselves in a more engagement-oriented approach
with a dialogue demanded from the national government. The author concluded that the
24
implementation of the megaproject disempowered the community and created social
division, and argued that large-scale projects affecting a local community must involve
their voices in the process.
That the directly affected communities, who are the disadvantaged stakeholders in
most cases, are disempowered and rarely heard in large-scale project implementation
processes was also observed by Hotsettler (2015) in the Tampakan gold project. In
making room for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI)
conducted public consultation sessions with the community.
According to Hostettler (2015), however, the consultation process was not in the
context of achieving free, prior, and informed consent. SMI contributed to the health and
education sector of the community, in accordance with Philippine Law requiring social
development efforts from the corporation. The community then viewed the social
development project as dependent on the continuance of the mining project; their
approval is in no way free.
However, the Tampakan case study involved indigenous communities, who have
a supplementary set of rights as declared by the United Nations, and is therefore
incomparable with the non-indigenous people of Lobo, the locale of the present study.
But it should be noted that the communities in Tampakan and Lobo are similar not only
because they live on land that was to be subjected to large-scale mining, but because they
both directly rely on their immediate environment for their source of livelihood,
resources, and community.
Another study by Flor and Kheerajit (2013) looked into the use of Participatory
Development Communication on Natural Resources Management in Ratchaburi
25
Province, Thailand. Through their research, they recognized that Participatory
Development Communication mitigates the issues and problems in natural resource
management in Ratchaburi Province, such as:
1) fragmentation in the management of government units and monopolization of
natural resources, that is granting responsibility in natural resource management to a
single government department, which impedes efficiency in operations,
2) the piecemeal perspective of natural resource management, which sees
natural resources as merely trade commodities and contributor to economic development,
3) the discrepancy between the provisions in the constitution and the organic
laws, as well as the actual circumstances on the ground level due to lack of consultation
with the people directly affected by such laws, and
4) disregard of the communitys rights and the peoples participation in natural
resource management (Sustainable Development Foundation in Thailand, 2003, as cited
in Flor & Kheerajit, 2013).
Participatory Development Communication is characterized by two-way
communication between the local government and the directly affected community. It
also requires the participation of organizations and other concerned institutions. This
technique highlights the need to change the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the
people towards natural resource management, rather than merely informing and
persuading them to agree with certain policies set by dominant stakeholders. It also
recognizes that the people should voluntarily engage in the activities, and must have a
critical understanding of the processes that they become involved in. By and large, this
26
strategy stresses the importance of a relatively free exchange between different
stakeholders to address a common problem (Flor & Kheerajit, 2013).
Flor and Kheerajit (2013) also added that Participatory Communication is divided
into four levels: 1) information sharing, which pertains to the inclusion of the community
through informing them about policies and activities, 2) feedback from the different
stakeholders and equal significance, 3) collaboration, which means a two-way
communication that supports open interaction and balanced decision-making, and 4)
empowerment of the community. These levels summarize the concerns of the previous
studies mentioned, in which information shared was filtered or withheld (Attar & Genus,
2014), feedback was not given (Hostettler, 2015), and communities were disempowered
(Edmunds & Wollenburg, 2002).
D. Synthesis
In the studies examined, common points can be found:
Resident communities subject to large-scale projects are disadvantaged politically

and economically, and are often blocked in communication efforts (Attar &
Genus, 2014; Edmunds & Wollenburg, 2002; Flor & Kheerajit, 2013; Hostettler,
2015; Prell, et. al., 2009; Springett, 2003).
Information-sharing in public participation is imperative, and should be multilateral and comprehensive (Flor & Kheerajit, 2013; Jordhus-Lier, 2014; Zillman,
et. al., 2002, as cited in Tang-Lee, 2015).
Consultation is not genuine public participation (Hostettler, 2015; Tang-Lee,

2015).
27
Representatives may not necessarily reflect the general opinion of the residents
(Attar & Genus, 2014).
Context and framing of the discourse is often dictated by powerful groups (Attar
& Genus, 2014; Hostettler, 2015; Prell, et. al., 2009; Springett, 2003).
All studies aforementioned made use of semi-structured interviews across
different stakeholder group. Despite this, there seems to be little focus on the exact level
of community involvement observed in megaprojects, except for Tang-Lees (2015)
research in Myanmar. Studies on large-scale mining projects in the Philippines (Holden,
2015; Holden & Jacobson, 2006 as cited in Holden, 2015) have also shown that it is
mostly local representatives (LGUs) who are directly involved in decision-making, while
another yielded that statutory bodies might not have strong communication ties but can
remain influential (Prell, et. al., 2009).
Multi-stakeholder engagement is one perspective with which to approach the
Lobo mining issue. However, power relations cannot be detached from the discourse.
Being the disadvantaged group financially and politically, the residents of Lobo are
facing giants. Given the literature reviewed, the researchers find it necessary to look into
the overlaps of stakeholder concerns, and, ultimately, whether such overlaps reflect the
interests of the directly-affected residents.
28
CHAPTER III. STUDY FRAMEWORK
A. Theoretical Framework
This study viewed communication from a transactional perspective, in which the
goal of communication is convergence. In this view, the stakeholders were viewed as
having different levels of interest and influence regarding the mining proposal in Lobo.
Given the aforementioned literature stating the importance of genuine public participation
(Hostettler, 2015; Tang-Lee, 2015), the researchers aimed to look into whether and to
what extent their varying discourses converge towards a single purpose: the directly
affected residents (DAR) concerns and welfare.
The study was anchored on Mark S. Reeds Stakeholder Analysis (et. al., 2009),
Teun A. Van Dijks Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (2005), and L. Edna Rogers and
Richard Faraces Relational Control (1973), an expansion of Gregory Batesons
Schismogenesis (1935). Stakeholder Analysis is used to identify the parties and their
interests in an issue, while the CDA is a discourse analysis approach that focuses on how
social inequality and power injustices are manifested in the messages exchanged through
text or talk. Additionally, Relational Control aids in identifying the dominant groups
and, by extension, the dominant messages by looking at the stakeholders patterns of
interaction. These approaches were used to look at the extent to which community
interests were reflected in the discourse surrounding the large-scale mining proposal in
the Municipality of Lobo in Batangas.
1. DeFleur et. al.s Transactional Communication Model (1993)
DeFleurs Transactional Model of Communication is one of the two elaborations
of Shannon-Weavers model of bidirectional, interpersonal communication (DeFleur, et.
29
al., 1993). This model uses the term communicators to refer to the participants in the
communication process who interact towards convergence. The term is used to imply that
participants are not just creators nor consumers of messages. Rather, these
communicators can both create and consume messages. In this sense, transactional
communication is circular exchange between the communicators.
The model also takes into account: 1) prior communication, in which the
responses to messages build on previous messages; 2) physical surroundings, in which
the mode or method of communication can influence the messages; 3) sociocultural
situation, in which the manner through which the message is delivered observes a social
situation's rules of behavior; and 4) the social relationships between the communicators.
These concepts set the premise for the studys use of Stakeholder Analysis, CDA, and
Relational Control.
2. Reed et. al.'s Stakeholder Analysis (2009) and
Rogers and Faraces Relational Control (1973)
Stakeholder Analysis is used to facilitate institutional and policy reform
processes, since it considers how the interests of various stakeholders are taken into
account. Reed et. al. (2009) defines stakeholder analysis as a process that:
1. defines aspects of a social and natural phenomenon affected by a decision or
action;
2. identifies the individuals, groups, and/or organizations who are affected by or
can affect those parts of the phenomenon, referred to in this study as
stakeholders (Freeman, 1984; as cited in Prell, et. al., 2009); and
3. prioritizes these for involvement in the decision-making process.
30
Reed et. al. (2009) also highlight the importance of understanding the different
perspectives of actors involved, and of facilitating a learning among stakeholders by
sharing and validating their take on the situation (Rist, et. al., 2006; Roling & Jiggins,
1997, as cited in Reed, et. al., 2009). This is especially useful in natural resource
management, which often involves conflicting interests of various stakeholders in the
same resource. Through stakeholder analysis, researchers will understand who has a stake
in an issue. In turn, understanding the stakeholders interests and relationships with each
other will help in effectively involving the appropriate stakeholders in decision-making
(Reed, et. al., 2009).
According to Chambers (1994, 1997, as cited in Reed, et. al., 2009), the absence
of stakeholder analysis potentially creates a situation in which powerful and wellconnected stakeholders have greater influence on decision-making outcomes than
marginalized groups. The use of stakeholder analysis in this study, therefore, supplements
the critical discourse analysis, recognizing the existence of dominant and dominated
stakeholders in the discourses surrounding mining permit acquisition.
There are three steps in stakeholder analysis: 1) identifying stakeholders; 2)
differentiating between and categorizing stakeholders; and 3) investigating relationships
between stakeholders (Reed, et. al., 2009). Since this study is concerned with exploring
the discourse among stakeholders holding different interests and influence in an issue, the
concepts of interest and influence will be used (Reed, et. al., 2009).
3. Van Dijks Critical Discourse Analysis (2005)
The CDA mainly addresses social problems and political issues, specifically on
how discourses enact, validate, legitimize, reinforce, or challenge power relations in
31
society, which are discursive in nature (Van Dijk, 2005). Discourse is defined as a kind of
social interaction defined as a communication event in a particular social situation (Van
Dijk, 1989). CDA reasons that social practices are the means by which social relations
are manifested and different interests are served. It pertains to questions such as: How is
the text positioned or being positioned? Whose interests are served/negated by this
positioning? What are the consequences of this positioning? (Janks, n.d., p. 1).
Van Dijk (2005) posits that the central notion of CDA is social power, which he
defines as control. Individuals or groups have power if they are able to control the acts
and minds (knowledge or opinion) of other individuals or groups. These dominant
groups power is based on privileged access to scarce social resources (e.g., force,
money, status, fame, knowledge, information, political authority). Power may be
integrated in laws, rules, norms, or habits a hegemony (Gramsci, 1971; as cited in
Van Dijk, 2005).
CDA will be used to understand how the different stakeholders present their
interests through different texts, and interact and negotiate among themselves in the issue
at hand.
4. Rogers and Faraces Relational Control (1973)
Recognizing the differences among stakeholder interests, their interactions can
result in either agreement or disagreement. Thus, the researchers deemed it appropriate to
also use Rogers and Faraces Relational Control (1973), which introduces the concepts of
symmetrical interaction and complementary interaction. In a symmetrical interaction,
where there is minimization of difference, the conduct between stakeholders is equivalent.
On the other hand, in a complementary interaction, characterized by the maximization of
32
difference, the control definition of the relationship offered by one actor is accepted by the
other (Watzlawick, et. al., 1967, as cited in Rogers & Farace, 1973).
B. Conceptual Framework
Within the transactional communication perspective, this study considered any
commonalities in the four stakeholders interests as a sign of convergence. This enabled
the researchers to determine if and to what extent the concerns (e.g., health, employment,
and environment) of the DAR are reflected within the other stakeholders discourse.
Since social power is inherent in multi-stakeholder communication, the concepts
of interest and influence, adopted from Reed et. al.s Stakeholder Analysis (2009), will be
integrated with Critical Discourse Analysis concepts of stakeholder discourse (interest)
and social power (influence) (Reed, et. al., 2009; Van Dijk, 2005). Discourse and social
power served as the characteristics that define the stakeholder. Van Dijk (2005) defines
discourse in terms of its properties of context and structure, while social power is defined
as the access to or control over these properties of context and structure.
The researchers looked into the texts sourced from the stakeholders, such as:
petitions, letters, press releases/statements by representatives, and meeting transcripts.
The researchers also looked into the interests, goals, and experiences of the stakeholders
among their encounters through interviews and a focus group discussion. These
discursive text and talk informed the researchers in determining the dominant discourses
(Van Dijk, 2005).
33
The properties of context and structure are as follows:
1. Properties of structure - refer to the structures of the discursive text and talk:
a. genre/s - the ideological perspective of the text (e.g., political context of
parliamentary debates),
b. speech acts - language used in the text (e.g., Filipino or English, use of
technical jargon) and the function of the speech (e.g., to assert or to
argue), and
c. topic/s emphasized - works within the framework of the ideology or discourse
genre being discussed, and defines the situation.
2. Properties of context refer to the social situation in which the discourse occurs
(Duranti & Goodwin, 1992; Van Dijk, 1998, as cited in Van Dijk, 2005):
a. overall definition of the situation,
b. setting (time, date and place),
c. kind of meeting (small/large, public/closed-door), and
d. participants.
According to Van Dijk (2005), a stakeholder is said to have control over the
properties of context if they have the ability to define the communication situation (e.g.,
to decide whether the meeting will be a consultation or discussion), decide on the time
and place of the event, determine which stakeholders and representatives will be called to
participate, control the knowledge and opinions shared, and decide on the action to be
accomplished (e.g., to accept or resist the mining proposal or call for further discussion).
Van Dijk (2005) also presents social power as access to or control over the
aforementioned categories of discourse. He cited instances in which inequitable control
34
over public discourse can be observed. An example of this is how media has the power to
dictate what the public must believe and do; thus, the general public only has passive
control over their media usage, unlike their active control over their personal interactions
within their personal relationships (Van Dijk, 2005). Another example is how members
and leaders of more powerful social groups gain exclusive access to and control over
public discourse through their knowledge of the jargon (e.g., lawyers control legal
discourse, politicians control policy and political discourse). According to Van Dijk
(2005), those who have more control over discourse are more powerful, and subsequently
more influential.
Stakeholder Analysis, on the other hand, begins with the identification of
stakeholders and their interests (Grimble & Wellard, 1996). Given that multi-stakeholder
discourse involves diverse interests, similarities and differences will inevitably surface,
which may cause either agreement or disagreement among stakeholders. The emerging
patterns of interaction will subsequently define the relationship between them. These
relational patterns come in two types: symmetrical relationship, in which one stakeholder
asserts control and the other responds by asserting control back; and complementary
relationship, wherein one stakeholder is domineering while the other is submissive
(Littlejohn & Foss, 2008).
Figure 4 shows how the DARs concerns may be addressed by the other
stakeholders. This can be seen in the overlaps between the DARs concerns and the other
stakeholders discourses. The sections that overlap represent similar discourses, while
sections that do not overlap represent differing discourses. From the overlapping sections,
dominant discourses or the most frequently mentioned and/or explicitly stated priority
35
emerged once social power and the resulting patterns of interaction were taken into
consideration.
In cases wherein two stakeholders have similar discourse structure, the
stakeholder with greater social power shapes the dominant discourse between the two. In
this case, there was a complementary interaction (represented by C, see Figure 4). In
areas that do not overlap, the stakeholders are said to have a symmetrical interaction with
other stakeholders (represented by S, see Figure 4), given that they have differing
concerns. Social power also comes into play in a symmetrical relationship, since the
stakeholder with the greatest social power among the four will emerge as the dominant
stakeholder and discourse. The concern in this study was whether the dominant
discourses from the complementary and symmetrical relationships address the DARs
concerns.
Figure 4. The Interactions and Convergence of Stakeholder Discourses
36
C. Operational Framework
In order to achieve the studys objectives, each stakeholders discourse, social
power, and resulting patterns of interaction were studied.
Control over the properties of discourse context and structure corresponds to the
stakeholders social power. As aforementioned, the properties of discourse context are the
setting (time, date, and place), kind (small/large, public/closed-door), purpose, and
participants of the meeting. In a transactional perspective, these information contextualize
the environment in which the message exchanges occur.
On the other hand, categories of discourse structure, as suggested by Van Dijk
(2005), carry the content of the messages, which in this study were economic, political,
social, and environmental discourses. In addition to the information gained from
stakeholder interviews regarding their interests and goals, the agencies documents were
also considered. The documents studied invariably contained one or more of these
discourse genres, such as the ecological impacts of mining (which falls under the
environmental genre), observance of mining policies and permit procedures (political),
health effects of mining and social development programs (social), and opportunities for
employment (economic). By identifying the discourse genres of and the topics
emphasized by each stakeholder, the researchers were able to determine the
commonalities among their interests.
The language used in these documents were also considered. If one stakeholder
uses English in communicating with another stakeholder that uses Filipino, the former
may appear to be more dominant, or the two may have a symmetrical relationship since
their languages are different. A stakeholders control over these discourse context and
37
structure categories, or their social power, correspond to their patterns of interaction as
evidenced by meeting transcripts.
The patterns of interaction among the four stakeholders manifested from their
social power, which is the number of discourse context properties they control. The
dominant concerns of each stakeholder, according to their discourse structure (i.e., genre,
language, and topic/s emphasized), also lent insight into their social power. When
Stakeholder A controls the venue of the meeting and the allowed participants, and has a
different dominant concern from Stakeholder B, Stakeholder A is dominant. When
Stakeholder A and B both decide where and when to hold the meeting, as well as who
gets to participate, the two groups are in competition.
The type of relational pattern, on the other hand, surfaced from analyzing the
responses among stakeholders, which may come in one of three possible ways: 1) one-up
response, wherein the stakeholder asserts control or makes a counter-control, rejecting
the domineering stakeholder, 2) one-down move, wherein the assertion is accepted, and 3)
one-across response, wherein the stakeholder towards whom the assertion is directed
neither accepts nor rejects the first persons bid for control, and does not acknowledge the
first persons one-up or control move (Littlejohn & Foss, 2008). Examples of
symmetrical (competition) and complementary (dominance/submission) transactions are
as follows (Sluzki & Beavin, 1965, as cited in Rogers & Farace, 1973):
1. Complementary (dominance and submission):
a. giving (one-up move) and taking (one-down) instruction
b. asking (one-down) and answering (one-up)
c. asserting (one-up) and agreeing (one-down)
38
2. Symmetrical (competition):
a. both sides giving a referential statement
b. agreeing
c. disagreeing
d. giving instructions/countering with own instructions
Table 1. Concepts from Van Dijks CDA (2005)

STAKEHOLDER DOMINANT
STAKEHOLDER SOCIAL POWER
DISCOURSE
Discourse genres present in texts
1. Environmental discourse - areas of
text regarding ecological impacts of
Access to or control over properties of

discourse structure in encounters among
stakeholders
mining (e.g., air and water pollution, dust,
1. Discourse genres
mine waste tailings, and efforts to curb
2. Speech acts
such)
3. Topic/s emphasized
2. Political discourse - areas of text

regarding observance of mining policies
and bureaucratic processes in the
Philippines
3. Social discourse - areas of text
regarding social impacts of mining (e.g.,
health effects, infrastructure
39
developments, social development
programs)
4. Economic discourse - areas of text
regarding economic impacts of mining
(e.g., foreign investment, contribution to
GDP, employment opportunities)
Speech acts
1. Language used (Filipino or
English)
2. Use of technical jargon
3. Function of speech (e.g. to go
against, to inform, to persuade)
Access to or control over properties of

context
1. setting (time, date, and place)
2. kind of meeting (small/large,
public/closed-door)
3. purpose/agenda of meeting
4. participants
Topic/s emphasized within the discourse

genre
1. Environmental topics
2. Political topics
3. Social topics
4. Economic topics
40
CHAPTER IV. RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY
A. Research Design and Methods
The researchers utilized discourse analysis, key-informant interviews, and a focus
group discussion in achieving this studys objectives. Due to the stakeholders use of
discursive talk and text to express their concerns regarding mining in Lobo, the study
took an exploratory and descriptive perspective. The study was a case approach
analyzing the insights, as expressed in the interviews and discursive texts, of the
stakeholders from the beginning of the mining companys application for a Mineral
Processing Permit (MPP), until the period of data-gathering.
B. Concepts and Indicators
The following tables outline the methodological details. The studys concepts and
their corresponding indicators, as well as the units of analysis have been organized in line
with the specific objectives.
Table 2. Concepts, Indicators, and Research Methods for Objective 1

Objective 1: To determine and compare each stakeholders discourse context and
structure
Objective 1a: To inventory each stakeholders dominant concerns regarding
mining in published documents, summaries and minutes of meetings
Objective 1b: To determine each stakeholders dominant concerns regarding
mining in published documents, summaries, and minutes of meetings according to
genre, language, topic/s emphasized, and patterns of interaction
Objective 1c: To find out through key-informant interviews each stakeholders
understanding of their meetings according to their overall definition of the
situation, kind of meeting, initiator of meeting, and level of participation
Concepts
Indicators
Units of Analysis
Setting (time, date,
Reports of meetings
place)
Minutes of meetings
Control over discourse
Kind of meeting
Transcripts of meetings
context
(small/large, open to the Interview data
public/closed-door)
41
Social power
Purpose/agenda of the
meeting
Participants
Number of categories of
discourse context to
which they have access
Number of categories of
discourse context over
which they have control
Reports of meetings
Minutes of meetings
Interview data
Symmetrical interaction
Opposition/rejection of
ideas
Social power
Reports of meetings
Minutes of meetings
Interview data
Complementary
interaction
Assertive behavior
giving information
allowing/denying
defining situation
Submissive behavior
seeking information
seeking permission
accepting
definitions
Social power
Reports of meetings
Minutes of meetings
Interview data
Table 3. Concepts, Indicators, and Research Methods for Objective 2

Objective 2: To determine overlaps (if any) in the different stakeholders'
discourses, and determine if and to what extent the directly affected residents'
concerns are considered by the other stakeholders
Concepts
Indicators
Methods
Reports of meetings
Similarities in
Genre most frequently
Minutes of meetings
stakeholder concerns
addressed by each
(Convergence)
stakeholder
Interview data
Topic/s most frequently
addressed by each
stakeholder
Reports of meetings
Differences in
Genre most frequently
Minutes of meetings
stakeholder concerns
addressed by each
stakeholder
Interview data
Topic/s most frequently
addressed by each
stakeholder
42
C. Research Instrument
The researchers created a matrix to inventory each stakeholders published
documents, as well as the summaries and minutes of meetings. This instrument was also
utilized to note the dominant concerns (genre, language, and topic/s emphasized) of each
stakeholder, as well as other observations the researchers made during data-gathering.
To supplement the discourse analysis, key-informant interviews were conducted
with representatives from each stakeholder. Since no specific non-government
representative of the directly affected residents (DAR) can be identified, a focus group
discussion (FGD) with select Lobo residents was also conducted. In conducting the
interviews and FGD, the researchers used a semi-structured interview guide, which
consisted of questions on the stakeholders main concerns and understanding of the
meetings, in terms of their primary goals, perceived level of participation, and overall
definition of the situation. Informants were also asked about their perceived similarities
and differences with other stakeholders, and the difficulties they may have encountered in
communicating with other stakeholders.
The instruments were designed for the analysis of the stakeholders interests,
goals, social power, and patterns of interaction within their message exchanges. A coding
matrix enabled the researchers to inventory the published documents and recorded
interactions between and among the stakeholders, thus achieving the objectives. The
matrix simplified the content of the text and talk in order to more efficiently analyze the
nuances within the stakeholder discourse.
43
D. Units of Analysis and Sampling
Documents (i.e., letters, petitions, reports, minutes and transcripts of meetings,
official statements, press releases, and Environmental Impact Assessment) produced by
each stakeholder from the year 2000 until the time of data gathering were acquired. Only
public documents relevant to the study, and those directly provided by the stakeholders
concerned, were used for this study.
Representatives from each stakeholder were interviewed in order to supplement
the discourse analysis, especially since certain documents were not available to the
researchers. Contact persons are outlined in the following section. However, some names
were omitted as requested. Community leaders (e.g., people's organization leader, Lobobased employees) from affected barangays in Lobo were interviewed, referred by Ms.
Petti Enriquez of BUKAL - Batangas.
E. Data Gathering and Budget
Given that the study used published documents and minutes/transcripts of
meetings, the researchers were granted access to these through the corresponding
stakeholders representatives:
1. DENR-MGB (CALABARZON, Manila Office) Engineer Edgardo Castillo, OICChief, Mine Tenements Management Division
2. DENR-EMB (Central Office) Engineer Carlo Vic Arida, Lobo case-handler
3. Municipality of Lobo Mr. Romeo M. Sulit, Secretary of Sangguniang Bayan; and
Mr. Rey Nelson Amparo, former chairperson of the Committee for the
Environment of the 2015 Sangguniang Bayan
44
4. Bukluran para sa Inang Kalikasan Batangas (BUKAL Batangas) Ms. Petti
Enriquez, spokesperson
5. A female employee of the Lobo Water District
6. Three residents of the directly affected barangays in Lobo
Female, resident of Brgy. Balibago, Bantay Kalikasan volunteer
Female, resident of Brgy. Balibago, member of a local peoples organization
Male, resident of Brgy. Mabilog na Bundok, Bantay Kalikasan volunteer

The allotted budget for data-gathering was PhP5,000. This included travel
expenses to and from the Municipality of Lobo and other government offices, food and
drinks, as well as tokens for the contact persons. The budget also took into account
printing and binding necessities, as well as additional expenses incurred in data
processing.
F. Data Analysis
The researchers used open thematic coding in determining the discourse context
and structure, social power, and patterns of interaction of each stakeholder from the
documents and interview data. Statements made in published documents and during the
interviews were organized according to stakeholder discourse context and structure to
determine their concerns. Patterns of interaction, in accordance with Rogers and Farace's
(1973) guide, emerged from the data. Any similarities among these indicated
convergence in the stakeholder discourse.
Microsoft Excel was used in coding and analyzing the data for this study,
following the format of the research instruments. The data analysis was also guided by
45
the study frameworks concepts and established model in order to comprehensively and
completely answer the research problem.
G. Scope and Limitations
Given that this study is exploratory and case-approach, the researchers did not
take into account other mining permits within the vicinity of Batangas, or other areas in
the Philippines. It analyzed the discourse and interactions only of the DENR (national
and CALABARZON offices), MRL-EGPI, Lobo local government unit, and the Lobo
residents who would have been directly affected by the mining project. The interactions
studied were also limited to the particular communication environment in question
recorded or documented meetings regarding the mining proposal in Lobo regardless of
any personal relationships among the stakeholders.
In terms of methods, the researchers also lacked a more sophisticated aid to create
a mathematical representation of the findings. The research findings were translated into
illustrations using only eyeball approximation.
H. The Researchers
The researchers of this study were Anne Kathlyn A. Baladad and Queencee
Colleen L. Quitalig. Both were 4th year Communication Research students at the
University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Mass Communication. Ms. Baladad has
interned in an environmental non-government organization, Kalikasan People's
Network for the Environment, from which the topic of mining was introduced to her.
Aside from the environment, her research interests are gender and sexuality, social
development, foreign aid, and culture. Ms. Quitalig also considers issues involving the
environment as one of her research interests, apart from gender and sexuality
46
(particularly feminist studies), health, art, and culture. She also serves as a writer for
Purveyr Magazine, a print concept that highlights the curated modern culture of the
Philippines. The researchers have taken courses on communication planning,
communication and management, social media research, market research, and project
development.
While the researchers are against foreign-owned, export-oriented, large-scale, and
destructive mining, they remained objective in analyzing the data, taking the roles of
complete observers in the duration of this study. All perspectives that the data yielded
were processed regardless of their personal advocacies.
CHAPTER V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The data gathered for this research were organized and analyzed according to the
objectives of the study, and were processed using open thematic coding accomplished
through Microsoft Excel and interview memos.
The study aimed to compare the stakeholders discourse structure, manifested in
their public documents and key-informant interviews, to find out their dominant
environmental, political, social, and economic concerns. Key-informant interviews and a
focus group discussion (FGD) were also conducted to establish the stakeholders social
power according to their understanding of the meeting, their perceived level of
participation, and evidences of dominance, competition, and submission in their
interactions. Using the information acquired through the aforementioned methods, this
research ultimately aimed to identify overlaps in stakeholder concerns, and whether these
overlaps reflect the concerns of the directly affected residents (DAR).
47
The studys focus on whether the DARs concerns are adequately addressed was
anchored on previous studies claims on the importance of considering community
participation. Multi-stakeholder negotiations cannot be assumed to be neutral, and may
mask abuses of power and inequity (Edmunds & Wollenburg, 2007, p. 1). Community
members dissenting opinions expressed during multi-stakeholder meetings may also not
be reflected in the transcript (Magnan, 2006, as cited in Attar & Genus, 2014). However,
the study filled this gap in the literature by using key-informant interviews and a focus
group discussion. This way, the communitys dissenting opinions, which may be filtered
in documents (Attar & Genus, 2014), are still considered in the data analysis.
In response to these, local resident participation can be seen as a mitigation
measure for issues of inequality and conflict involved in natural resource management
(Flor & Kheerajit, 2013). Given these literature, it was deemed appropriate for this study
to focus on the communitys participation in the Lobo mining proposal, as reflected in the
discourses of the four stakeholders.
Each stakeholders dominant concerns were analyzed according to their discourse
genre (economic, social, political, and environmental themes), language (words used,
technical or purposeful jargon used, functions of speech), and the topic/s emphasized in
their documents. The overall dominant discourses among the four stakeholders were also
noted through word count and emergent themes.
To determine patterns of interaction (dominance, submission, or competition)
among the stakeholders, the researchers noted the functions of speech in their public
documents, which words were used or mentioned (or not), portrayal of other
stakeholders, voice, tone, and general objective of the document. Through this, the
48
researchers were able to determine each stakeholders social power relative to one
another.
Finally, the researchers looked into whether the DARs concerns are reflected in
the other stakeholders documents by noting words commonly used, similar emergent
themes, and priorities explicitly mentioned in the interviews and focus group discussion.
Analyzing the documents released in multi-stakeholder projects is essential in
understanding how stakeholders frame their concerns, how these are received by other
stakeholders, and the impact of these discursive texts on the large-scale project (Attar &
Genus, 2014).
A. Inventory of Documents
In order to achieve these objectives, the researchers created an inventory of all
relevant public documents released by the four stakeholders: directly affected residents
(DAR) (through peoples organizations and coalitions), the local government unit (Lobo
SB) (the Sangguniang Bayan active during the time of public hearings), the DENR-EMB
and MGB Region IVa, and the mining firm as represented by Mindoro Resource
Limited and Egerton Gold, Phils., Inc. (MRL-EGPI). However, these documents are
limited to those which can be accessed by the researchers.
Table 4. Inventory of Published Documents for Determining Discourse Structure

DOC #
PUBLISHER
TITLE
DATE
Lobo Water District
Letter to DENR EMB
3-Jun-12
Lobo Resort Owners
Letter to DENR EMB Usec. Jonas
3-Jun-15
Association
Leones
49
3
Lobo
Urgent Appeal to Aquino
n.d.
Posisyon at Paninindigan Hinggil sa
Brgy. Sawang
Nakaambang Pagmimina ng Mindoro
Brgy. Mabilog na
Resources Limited at Egerton Gold
Bundok
Philippines sa Aming Barangay at
9-Jun-15
Bayan ng Lobo
Batangas State
Letter to DENR Sec. Paje on effects of
5
University Lobo
9-Jun-15
mining in Lobo
Campus (BSU-Lobo)
6
Citizens of Lobo
Petisyon para sa Sangguniang Bayan
Lobo Sangguniang
Lobo SB Resolution 2015-26
n.d.
20-Apr-15
Bayan
Endorsing Mining in Lobo
Lobo Sangguniang
Lobo SB Resolution 2015-53 Cancel
15-Jul-15
Bayan
Endorsement
Minutes of the Public Hearing on the
Lobo Sangguniang
9
Proposed Total Mining Ban Ordinance
4-Mar-16
Bayan
(2016)
Lobo Sangguniang
10
9-Mar-16
Bayan
(2016)
Lobo Sangguniang
11

Bayan
(2016)
9-Mar-16
50
Lobo Sangguniang
12
11-Mar-16
Bayan
(2016)
Lobo Sangguniang
13
14-Mar-16
Bayan
(2016)
Egerton Gold
Petition for Reconsideration of
14
4-Aug-15
Philippines, Inc.
Resolution 2015-53
Mindoro Resources
15
Press Release #1
29-Nov-00
Press Release #2
24-Jun-03
Press Release #3
19-Apr-04
Press Release #4
8-Nov-04
Press Release #5
22-Nov-04
Press Release #6
30-Aug-07
Press Release #7
3-Dec-10
Limited
Mindoro Resources
16
Limited
Mindoro Resources
17
Limited
Mindoro Resources
18
Limited
Mindoro Resources
19
Limited
Mindoro Resources
20
Limited
Mindoro Resources
21
Limited
51
Mindoro Resources
22
Press Release #8
5-Jul-10
Press Release #9
23-Aug-11
Press Release #10
20-Jul-11
Press Release #11
8-Nov-11
Environmental Impact Assessment
2015
Limited
Mindoro Resources
23
Limited
Mindoro Resources
24
Limited
Mindoro Resources
25
Limited
Egerton Gold
26
Philippines, Inc.
The DENR provided no file, stating that the sole public document to which they
refer was the mining companys Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Document
#26). This is worthy to note given that it is reflective of a local case study in which the
mining company was the sole provider of the information used by the community
(Hostettler, 2015).
Each stakeholders documents will be discussed in further detail according to
discourse genre (i.e., economic, social, political, and environmental). Sentiments
manifested in the interviews and focus group discussion will also be considered in
analyzing the stakeholders concerns and social power. The dominant concerns of each
stakeholder will be discussed first, followed by their secondary concerns. The concerns
were ranked according to the stakeholders statements on their priorities, and the number
of times the concerns were mentioned in the documents.
52
B. Dominant Concerns of Each Stakeholder
1. Directly Affected Residents
When asked about their main concerns, the DAR listed social, economic, and
environmental concerns as the most pertinent, while politics remained the least important.
Given the environmentally dependent nature of the municipalities main sources of
livelihood (agriculture and tourism), the three major concerns are necessarily
interconnected.
1. Dominant Concern: Social
The perceived social impacts of the mining project were mostly health risks
associated with environmental damage; the mining operations are perceived likely to
produce effluents that may trickle down to their water sources, since Lobo is a
mountainous watershed along a coastline.
The Lobo Water District also pointed out the social and economic effects of the
proposed mining and processing plant in Sitio Batang of Brgy. Mabilog na Bundok to the
community and its neighbors, underscoring that their source of potable water, which is
the Lobo Watershed, along with other nearby land and water bodies, may be damaged by
the mine tailings, eventually putting the health and community livelihood at risk. Such
concern for the communitys livelihood was also stressed in BSU-Lobos letter to former
DENR Secretary Ramon Paje, saying that agriculture and fishery have been the two
major sources of sustainable livelihood for decades, and that the community has attained
gainful employment in the farmlands and small-scale food processing.
This sentiment is also mirrored by the Brgy. Sawang and Brgy. Mabilog na
Bundok, as cited in Document #4 (see Table 4), stating that although the mining industry
53
is vital to a countrys economic growth, it is more important to save the farmlands and
improve the agricultural industry. In their petition to the Sangguniang Bayan, the citizens
of Lobo also said that the large-scale mining project may lead to the dislocation of their
homes and the loss of livelihood of thousands of their farmers, further emphasizing that
there has never been a case of responsible mining in the country.
2. Secondary Concerns:
a. Economic
Given the DARs direct dependence on their immediate surroundings, the FGD
participants expressed hostility towards the mining project. Water is considered a major
resource of the residents, to which their agriculture, and by extension their lives, are
dependent. Their priority was to safeguard the current environment, and encourage
ecotourism projects and agri-industry rather than mining.
Agriculture and tourism are also seen as more sustainable than the proposed
mining operation. The fruits of agriculture are more directly experienced by the residents,
compared to the gold-mining industry, or the construction employment opportunities
offered by EGPI within the mining site. The DAR mentioned being promised by the
mining firm employment in the mining site. Ghost employees were cited by the
participants as a strategy used by the company and the landowners in order to boost
confidence in employment opportunities.
Lobo is also a tourism zone; the Lobo Resort Owners Association (LoROA)
submitted a petition to the DENR-Central Office to consider the current income
generation of the municipalitys tourism industry before approving the Environmental
Compliance Certificate (ECC) for EGPI. During the FGD, the participants repeatedly
54
cited environmental damage as potentially contributing to lessened tourism rates. To
them, their main tourist attraction is their high biodiversity and coastline similar to
neighboring Laiya, San Juan, a popular beach destination also located in Batangas.
BSU-Lobo also added that the LGU is planning to establish a Lobo Ecotourism
Project, which incorporates a development plan that is culturally appropriate and
conscious of the impact of visitors to the environment and the rural economy. This
contradicts the premise that there is a need for a large-scale mining project to uplift the
economy. The LoROA holds the same position, emphasizing in their letter to former
DENR-EMB Usec. Jonas Leones that Lobo is a tourist destination, and that they are,
therefore, for tourism rather than mining.
According to the FGD participants, the DENR gathered their concerns during
public hearings and dialogues, but were more focused on discussing the positive
economic aspect of the discourse: the economic benefits offered by the mining project.
This clashes with the residents aforementioned concern about the potential harm the
mining operations may cause their current sources of livelihood.
When probed about their meetings with other stakeholders, the participants
acknowledged the necessity of mining for economic development. This is perceived to be
the only similar topic in their discourse. The differences lie in the DARs belief that
ecologically sensitive islands should not be mined, and their perception that certain promining national government officials are large hindrances to their demands.
b. Environmental
Lobo itself is a watershed, and the Lobo River flows into the Verde Island
Passage. Any contamination to their water systems were perceived as potentially
55
damaging to their sources of livelihood. Instances of environmental detriment, such as
blackened moss, dust-covered rock, acidic water, and hog death were attributed to the
exploration operations of the mining company. The possibility of whether these
environmental phenomena may be caused by other factors other than mining was not
mentioned.
The participants further expressed their contentions against the mining proposal
by citing specific Philippine mining incidents, such as the 1996 Marcopper and Zambales
mining experiences. It must be noted, however, that the participants cited only negative
experiences, and did not mention mining companies with little or no history of
environmental damage.
The participants also showed attitudes oriented towards preventive measures
rather than remaining reactive. Through the letter addressed to DENR-EMB, the Lobo
Water District expressed their concern about the irreversible damage that mining will
cause to Lobos rivers, streams, and tributaries, as well as the rate of endemicity of
certain plant species, such as the Philippine Teak.
The issue of tourism, highlighting Lobos biodiversity, was also forwarded
in the previously sited documents. In the position paper authored by Brgy.
Sawang and Brgy. Mabilog na Bundok, it was emphasized that Verde Island
Passage, an ecologically important strait contiguous to Lobo, is the global center
of the center in terms of marine biodiversity. This is supported in BSU-Lobos
letter, which states that Lobo is one of the countrys key biodiversity areas,
making it a point of national pride, and is a biodiversity hotspot worth sparing
from mine waste contamination and siltation.
56
Aside from the containment of mine waste, concerns raised about water safety
and other environmental effects of the project were allegedly not acknowledged by the
DENR. When asked about their communication experience with other stakeholders, the
participants said that the mining company did not make any effort to address the
communities concerns through meetings. The only instance of the mining company
addressing the DARs concerns through face-to-face communication was that they will
not be using toxic chemicals in the project. This was refuted by the community, saying
that the company will be using muriatic acid for softening the soil.
c. Political
It was argued in the DARs documents that the endorsement of the project was a
hasty move by the government, as it was done without prior, substantial, and meaningful
consultation with the residents, and denied the residents of the information on the real
nature of the project. This seems to be a common occurrence with mining projects that
seek social acceptance: consultations are done, not quite to gather the sentiments of the
community and come up with mutually beneficial arrangements, but to legitimize the
public participation component of the proponents application requirements (Hostettler,
2015).
Documents from the DAR also expressed that the governments consent to the
mining project is tantamount to the denial of the peoples socio-economic rights and
national patrimony, and its lack of interest and sincerity to hear the peoples voices and
stance.
57
2. Lobo Sangguniang Bayan
An interview was conducted with a former Sangguniang Bayan member active
during the time of the public hearing and ECC application. According to the informant,
the Lobo SBs main concern regarding the mining proposal was the balance between
economic benefit to the community and the environmental impact of the project.
1. Dominant Concern: Economic
During the Lobo SBs initial endorsement of the mining project, their main
incentive was the economic viability of the project. It was repeatedly cited in EGPIs EIA
that the major social impact of the project is increased direct (in the mining site) and
indirect employment (in consequent industries). Given that Lobo is a fifth-class
municipality, any form of employment is deemed welcome by the representative.
As expected, these perceived benefits of the proposed mining project were also
mentioned in the Lobo SBs Resolution 2015-26, which served to endorse mining in
Lobo. In the said document, the Lobo SB called the project environmentally sound,
socially acceptable, and economically feasible. It was also stated in the said
resolution that the project is expected to lead to sustained development by providing
employment opportunities to qualified constituents in the host and adjoining
communities.
However, once the mining company retracted their initial declaration of operating
within only 26 hectares to 300 hectares, the SB cancelled their endorsement, citing the
social inacceptability of the 300-hectare mining site. In SBs resolution 2015-53, which
negates the provisions in their first resolution, the SB expressed that it is their mandate to
58
protect, conserve, and ensure the sustainable use of the environment and biological
diversity, citing the Local Government Code of 1991.
a. Environmental
The informant also cited that the proposed mining site was 500m away from the
Lobo River, which they did not consider environmentally safe. Given the turn of events,
the importance of environmental preservation outweighed the prospect of economic
development in Lobo.
b. Political
Following the cancellation of their initial endorsement, the Lobo SB, led by the
informant, proposed the Total Mining Ban Ordinance last March 2016. In the minutes of
one of the public hearings regarding the said proposed ordinance, one of the arguments
used was that the Department of Tourism maintains that Lobo is a Tourism Development
Area. It was pointed out that mining is not permitted in such areas, as outlined in
Executive Order 79. In another hearing, the amended Zoning Ordinance of Lobo, which
rules that mining zones will no longer exist in Lobo, was cited. Through this, the
researchers can say that the community and local government are more active in their
political behavior compared to the passive compliance of the DENR and MRL-EGPI.
c. Social
The local government active during the time of the ECC application did not
mention any social concerns in their document nor interview. Explicit references to the
social impact of the project were in the form of social acceptability/inacceptability, as
written in their Resolutions 26 and 53. The LGU did not mention any social concern,
59
even though their constituents did. This reflects lack of parallelism in the social
discourses of the governing and the governed.
3. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Two separate interviews were conducted with the DENR: one was with a
representative from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of CALABARZON
(Manila office), while the second was with the case-handler of Lobo from the
Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Division of the Environmental
Management Bureau (EMB) in the DENRs Central Office. When asked about the main
concerns of the DENR regarding the proposed mining project, the two informants cited
slightly differing priorities. Both, however, seem to emphasize the importance of
complying with the requirements or standards set by Philippine Law.
1. Dominant Concern: Political
By and large, the general sentiment construed from the interviews with both
DENR representatives seem to be as promoters of mining in the Philippines, provided
that all mandated requirements and standards are met by the company. This reflects
previous studies in which one interest in multi-stakeholder projects is compliance with
existing policies (Bosh-Rekveldt, 2016). However, the political concerns of the DENR
seem to be limited to compliance, with no reference to their opinion of the existing laws
or whether new policies should be filed.
60
a. Economic
Both representatives also repeatedly emphasized the economic potential of the
project, stating that the main benefits include increased employment opportunities and
national economic development.
The MGB informant named economic profit through excise tax, social
responsibility as mandated by RA 7942, and environmental protection in the midst of the
operations as their main concerns. On the other hand, the Environmental Management
Bureau informant stated that their foci are: 1) environmental impact of project, and 2)
social benefits to the people in the form of social development.
Both informants also cited that they seek balance between the economic benefits
of mining and its potential environmental impact.
b. Environmental
In terms of the projects environmental impact, the MGB informant used the term
environmental protection, implying that its concern lies with the reactive preservation
of the environment when the mining operations are underway, such as establishing
mitigating measures for siltation and surface run-off.
c. Social
The social benefits cited by both MGB and EMB informants were parallel: their
social concerns refer to the Social Development Plan as mandated by the Philippine
Mining Act, in which 1.5% of operating costs will be given to the community in the form
of livelihood opportunities and other development projects.
61
4. Mindoro Resources Limited and Egerton Gold Philippines, Inc.
To gain insights on the main concerns of the proponent, Mindoro Resources
Limited (MRL) and Egerton Gold Philippines, Inc. (EGPI), the researchers solely relied
on the public documents they released such as its EIA, press releases, and their Petition
for Reconsideration of Resolution 2015-53. Through such documents, the company
addressed the social and economic concerns raised by the LGU and DAR. The company,
however, seemed to highlight the economic benefits of the project.
1. Dominant Concern: Economic
Significant emphasis was given to the employment opportunities offered by the
project. It must be noted that the EIA explicitly outlines the preference to be given to
qualified individuals, implying that it will not be a significant portion of the Lobo
population as perceived by other stakeholders.
It was also observed in the EIA report that the company lists the Environmental
Aspects as air, water, land, and people. However, the potential impacts to the people
listed by the company addressed, not the dependence of the people with their
environment, but merely the employment opportunities brought by the project. Whenever
concerns about the effect to the communities current sources of livelihood were raised,
they were not addressed in the EIA report.
Development was also used as an all-encompassing argument for persuading the
communities to approve of the project, suggesting a white mans burden type of social
responsibility, in which mining is framed as the solution for structural problems.
As for the Motion for Reconsideration, Egerton stuck by its established priorities
in the EIA: economic benefits to the people of Lobo and national development.
62
a. Political
In terms of political discourse, the EIA report also contained evidence of the
companys relationship with other stakeholders, and their recognition of the legislative
process.
The most noteworthy of the companys statements regarding policy compliance is
their assumption that the Lobo SBs first resolution endorsing the mining project
reflected the true voice of the Lobo residents.
b. Social
Aside from the aforementioned employment opportunities that the mining
company offers the Lobo residents, the Social Development Program, as mandated in the
Philippine Mining Act of 1995, requires the proponent to establish certain efforts for
social responsibility. The EIA mentioned offering technical and vocational courses for
interested residents, youth workshops, and other social programs. This was met by the
FGD participants with skepticism, who said that the company will promise everything.
c. Environmental
The main environmental sentiment expressed by EGPI in the EIA report is that
their project is environmentally sound or safe. They generally address certain
environmental concerns raised by other stakeholders through different strategies:
allowing other stakeholders to work as their pseudo-representatives, citing their planned
responsible operations or practices, or by citing past experiences by other mining
companies in the Philippines. Biodiversity was also not addressed in the EIA, except for
two statements stating protection and enhancement of mangroves and marine ecology.
63
However, the Motion for Reconsideration addressed the concern for biodiversity using
motherhood statements, deemed so due to lack of specific plans mentioned in any
document. These statements were made after the EIA declaration of development having
certain environmental effects.
When asked by the Barangay Council about the projects possible effect to the
environment, the mining firm left it to a fellow barangay council member in favor of the
project to advise the skeptic through one-on-one meetings. It was reported in the EIA that
after the one-on-one meeting, the skeptical council members gave their go signal for the
project.
A municipal council member also raised a similar concern, to which the firm
responded by citing that the past exploration works conducted in the area yielded no
environmental damage. This is refuted by the FGD participants experiences throughout
the years.
While EGPI recognized in the EIA the fact that they had no prior experience to
present to the concerned stakeholders as reassurance, they cited other countries
experience as proof of the proposed operations safety. This was not reflected, however,
in the later released Motion for Reconsideration.
They also assumed that since MRL-EGPI had incurred no environmental
damage during its exploration stage, it necessarily means that no environmental damage
will occur at its operations stage. The companys selective historical citation is similar to
that of the FGD participants, except their accounts veer towards positive experiences in
mining. They declared gold mining and processing as time-tested technologies, which
64
disregards the past historical experiences cited by the FGD participants. Idealistic
language was also used in reassuring the environmental soundness of their project.
C. Language, Topic/s Emphasized, and Patterns of Interaction
Previous studies have provided that the language used by stakeholders express
their interests. It can also be an instrument for stakeholders to control a situation;
dominant stakeholders may manipulate concepts to forward their interests (Springett,
2003). In that sense, studying the language may provide insight on the stakeholders
social power.
Identifying the language of each stakeholder may also help determine the
commonalities among their interests. Hence, the researchers looked into each
stakeholders documents in order to analyze the language (language used, jargons used,
and function of speech), determine the topics emphasized (in terms of the different
genres: economic, political, social, and environmental), and identify patterns of
interaction (dominance, competition, and submission). The researchers primarily relied
on the written text in analyzing language use, since the documents are addressed to the
other stakeholders, and may provide a clearer picture of how stakeholders interact among
themselves, compared to the interviews and focus group discussion wherein the
researchers are the audience.
In terms of language, the DAR seem to assume a subservient position, as they use
seemingly sycophantic terms such as your kind heart, sincerely hope, respectfully
prayed, as well as the word ask. The words devious, deceived, luring,
immediately deny, and disregarded and put aside, on the other hand, suggest anger,
vulnerability, and lack of power. Despite their subordinate position, however, the DAR
65
seem to strengthen their arguments with data based on scientific research and historical
accounts.
In summary, the dominant discourses of the DAR, in terms of the topics
emphasized in their documents, are ranked from most important to least as follows: social
impacts, economic jeopardy, environmental damage, and perceived political will of
government officials.
On the other hand, MRL-EGPI employed idealistic language in the documents
they released, especially their EIA in order to reassure the environmental soundness of
their project. The language used was also formal and generally positive. Words like rest
assured that the issue will be managed carefully, minimization, proactive, and
enhancement were most often used in response to the potential impacts of the project to
community livelihood. A quote from a famous scientist was also used in response to a
concern regarding possible mine waste from the dug-up ores: Matter cannot be created
French chemist Antoinne Lavoisier, saying that if no impure materials are found in the
ore bodies, there will be no residual waste. It was also observed that some concerns
raised were only responded with duly noted.
MRL-EGPI also published press releases using industry jargon like poryphyry
copper-gold-systems and high-grade gold-copper vein. This may be due to the fact
that the press releases are tailored purely for industry or market use, and not for public
interpretation. The most notable function of speech in the press releases is the companys
positive tone in expressing its delight in its discovery of high-grade gold ore in Lobo.
Phrases like pleased to advise, most enthusiastic, highly encouraged, exciting
opportunity, excellent potential, economic attractiveness, promising, target-rich
66
project, extremely encouraged, and we look forward to were used in almost all 17
press releases analyzed. In general, the press releases were mostly economically centered
in nature.
Given that the DENR solely relied on the documents released by MRL-EGPI,
particularly the EIA, the researchers did not have the proper reference to analyze the
DENRs language.
As for the Lobo SB, it was aforementioned that it had shifted its stance on the
issue at first, endorsing and commending the project for its perceived benefits, only to
retract such endorsement upon the companys declaration that they will be operating
within 300 hectares instead of the 26 hectares initially claimed.
In their first resolution endorsing the project, the Lobo SB called the project
environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically feasible. It also
stated in the said resolution that the project was expected to lead to sustained
development through providing employment opportunities to qualified constituents in the
host and adjoining communities.
However, once the mining company revised their initial declaration of operating
within only 26 hectares to 300 hectares, the SB cancelled their endorsement, citing the
social inacceptability of the 300-hectare mining site. In SBs resolution 2015-53 which
negates the provisions in their first resolution, the SB expressed that it is their mandate to
protect, conserve, and ensure the sustainable use of the environment and biological
diversity, citing Local Government Code of 1991.
67
In the following documents, including the minutes of the public hearing on the
proposed Lobo Total Mining Ban ordinance, it was emphasized that Lobo is a Tourism
Development Area.
D. Social Power
The key-informant interviews were the primary reference in looking into the
patterns of interaction among the stakeholders, as well as their relative social power. In
the interviews and focus group discussion, informants were asked whether other
stakeholders are able to address their concerns, whether there are similarities and/or
differences, which stakeholder calls for most of the meetings and has the most active
participation, and whether difficulties were encountered as they communicate with other
stakeholders. These were probed in order to acquire insight on each stakeholders
understanding of their meetings according to their: 1) overall definition of the situation,
2) kind of meeting, 3) initiator of the meeting, and 4) level of participation. Such insights
are deemed necessary in determining the social power of each stakeholder.
1. Overall definition of the situation
On the surface, i.e., relying solely on the information provided in public
documents, the stakeholders seem to share the same interest and forward the same goal:
the approval of the mining project due to its economic and social benefits for the
community. However, if the insights gathered through the interviews and focus group
discussion are considered, inconsistencies and disagreements emerge, as expressed by the
locals who participated in the FGD and the Lobo SB representative interviewed.
The researchers aimed to conduct a deeper examination of the written texts in
order to have a better grasp of the situation that goes beyond what is explicitly said.
68
Considering the implications of the texts, the conflicts mentioned during the interviews
seem to be reinforced.
The representatives from DENR-MGB IVa and DENR-EMB expressed that they
have encountered disagreements with the residents. Both claim, however, that such
disagreements merely arise from the hasty generalization of the residents who believe
that all large-scale mining projects are destructive by nature, and are unwilling to
acknowledge that there are mitigating measures proposed and endorsed by the DENR.
The DENR-EMB representative also presume that the residents dissent is due to the
influence of outsiders and biased groups. This goes against Flor and Kheerajits (2013)
insight on Participatory Development Communication, in which other organizations and
concerned institutions must be required to participate in multi-stakeholder
communications. In this sense, the Lobo context does not utilize Participatory
Development Communication.
On the other hand, the FGD participants expressed dissatisfaction in terms of the
avenues to communicate with other stakeholders, and to negotiate or forward their
interests and concerns. Although the DENR does make an effort to communicate with the
residents, through gathering information via door-to-door interviews by asking for the
locals opinions on mining in Lobo, the FGD participants deem such methods
insufficient. They also said that there was either no follow-up, or their request for a
follow-up remained stagnant.
Based on the DENR-EMB informants response, the EMB-led public hearing
seem to be the sole avenue for the residents to express their concerns regarding the
mining proposal, apart from the petitions and letters that they submit to various agencies.
69
These concerns are, then, supposed to be addressed by the mining company. The
representative said, however, that the goal of the hearing is not to reach a convergence of
interests. It was merely an opportunity for the residents to voice out their concerns for the
company to note. As to what communication event is deemed appropriate for arriving at a
decision, the EMB representative did not elaborate. As he remarked, on the public
hearing:
So ipepresent yun ng proponent, and together with the, yung
mitigating plans na prinopropose nila. Yun yung ano nun. So kung sa
public hearing tayo, wala tayong pag-aagreehan if we will go with the
project or not. Ang goal lang dun is to gather yung info from the public
that will be needed for the decision-making of the EMB if they will have to
issue the ECC or not (The proponent will present their proposal together
with their proposed mitigating plans. Thats the purpose [of the public
hearing]. So, during the public hearing, the goal is not to agree on whether
we will push through with the project or not. The goal is to gather the
information from the public that will be needed for the decision-making of
the EMB on whether they will issue the ECC or not.
This insight should be noted, given that public hearing are official DENRmandated events wherein all stakeholders (or their representatives) are present. A
communication event like a public hearing may be the ideal opportunity for deciding
whether a project should be pushed through in a particular area, since all stakeholders
involved would be present and would have a larger sense of agency than if they were not
present. That the DENR-EMB case handler himself sees the public hearing as a mere
70
information dissemination opportunity implies that decisions are not made with the
communitys opinion and agency as a deciding factor.
2. Kind of meeting
In terms of the kinds of meetings conducted among the stakeholders, the public
hearing seems to be the only juncture in which all stakeholders considered in this study
are present.
According to the DENR-MGB IVa representative, their agency had held
conversations with the Lobo SB and stated that, based on the discussions, the latter seems
to highlight their interest on the potential income from the proposed mining project, in
terms of the jobs it may offer to locals, as well as the taxes it may contribute. The said
representative also shared that they have had personal visits from MRL-EGPI, who seek
to clarify the requirements. Such requirements and other technical matters are also
discussed during sessions called for by Lobo SB, which are attended by the twelve
members of the board, three representatives from the company, and three representatives
from DENR-MGB IVa.
The LGU representative also mentioned having personal conversations with the
President of EGPI. Although the company seems to have established and maintained
good communication with the other stakeholders, it had only engaged with the
community through their public scoping or perception survey, as a required part of the
projects EIA.
3. Initiator of meeting
In analyzing the documents, interviews, and focus group discussion, it was
determined that the central stakeholder is the local government unit, specifically the
71
Sangguniang Bayan. They have direct and immediate access to their constituents the
DAR given that they are locally elected officials. In this case, the Lobo SB was also
able to communicate directly with the mining firm, as stated by the interviewed
representative active during the time of the public hearing, who was able to have personal
conversations with the president of EGPI.
The two representatives from DENR also shared that the Lobo SB is the
stakeholder that they target to communicate with, assuming that the Lobo SB bears the
interests of the community. As the DENR-EMB representative said,
Sila yung directly maiimpact nung project, and sila din yung ano,
first-hand na makaka-enjoy nung benefits nung project (They are the ones
who will be directly impacted by the project and who will enjoy the
benefits the project the most).
This statement implies that the Lobo SBs voice is considered by the other
stakeholders to be equal to the communitys. The representative from DENR-EMB also
said that their department only contacts or invites the Municipal Planning Development
officer or the Municipal Environmental and Natural Resources office, who are referred to
as the resource persons from mandated agencies, when asked whether they
communicate closely with the community. Should the locals desire to talk to their
department, they are required to send a formal request.
There seems to be no direct link between the DAR and the DENR. This is due, in
part, to the DENR-EMBs assumption that the LGU, as formally elected representatives
of the community, necessarily mirror their constituents sentiments, which eliminates
72
their sense of urgency to conduct FGDs or other similar direct feedback mechanisms with
the community.
4. Level of participation
Considering the insights gathered from the conversations with the representatives
of the different stakeholders, the Lobo SB appears to have the highest level of
participation as it has access or direct communication with all of the other stakeholders.
The SB representative active during the time of the public hearing affirmed this
during the interview, saying,
We have the power to determine which is good for Lobo and
which is not good for Lobo. For the national government, even if they say,
"Ilalagay ko to diyan (We are going to put this there)," we don't allow it if
don't wanna allow it.
Before even the mayor can sign, before we can sign any contract
with a private company, any memorandum of understanding with a
company, there has to be a, it has to be allowed by the Sanggunian
through a resolution or an ordinance. That's how powerful the Sanggunian
is.
The Lobo SB was also present in closed-door DENR meetings, since they
constituted a portion of the EIA review committee, along with other DENR-invited
professionals. It must be noted, however, that the directly affected residents interviewed
in the FGD cited differences in sentiments between the Lobo SB and the residents. This
becomes an issue when other stakeholders interpret the Lobo SBs sentiments as
representative of their constituents sentiments. Since the LGU stands on the principle of
73
representative democracy, their interests necessarily have to mirror that of their
constituents. However, there seems to be little convergence in terms of the dominant
concerns of the DAR and the Lobo SB within the context of the EGPI mining proposal.
This is a significant finding, given that, on paper, the Lobo SB seems to declare that its
endorsement cancellation was done because they chose to listen to the DAR, but after
deeper analysis, their discourses do not converge. This means that the Lobo SB does not
truly represent the DAR, and should not be considered as such by the other stakeholders,
especially the DENR, in decision-making.
Given the informants patterns of interaction and their understanding of their
meetings, the Lobo SB, despite not totally reflecting its constituents concerns, may be
considered to have the greatest social power, as it has the most access and direct
communication with all of the other stakeholders, in addition to its mandated political
authority in approving projects. This follows Van Dijks (2005) proposition that social
power is characterized by the control over discourse context, i.e., the social situation in
which discourses and communication among and between stakeholders occur, as well as
access to scarce social resources like political authority.
Van Dijk (2005) also added that social power may pertain to the control over
information and, therefore, the acts and minds of other stakeholders. On such premise,
MRL-EGPI is the second most powerful stakeholder, since they provided the information
on which the DENR and the Lobo SB relied.
Consistent with previous studies on multi-stakeholder negotiations (Attar &
Genus, 2014; Hostettler, 2015), the DAR appear to be the least powerful stakeholder.
While they are vigilant in expressing their concerns, they have the least agency to make
74
decisions on the projects approval, and seem to be unrecognized by the more dominant
stakeholders. Aside from the absence of equitable social power, there was also no real
convergence among the four stakeholders, and there was little overlap of stakeholder
discourse with the directly affected residents concerns expressed in their documents and
focus group discussion.
Figure 5. Flow and Purposes of Communication Across Stakeholders
E. Discourse Convergence and Divergence

In order to establish parallelisms across stakeholder discourses for evidence of
convergence or divergence, themes were compiled according to genre. Using the
dominant concerns discussed in the previous sections, matrices were created in order to
understand which stakeholders share common themes, and which of them harbor unique
concerns that are not reflected by the others. Diagrams were also constructed according to
each genre to further illustrate convergence and divergence of stakeholder discourse.
75
As discussed, the Lobo SBs primary concern is the economic benefits posed by
the project. The DENR also considers this as a top concern, saying that mining can
contribute to the national economy. MRL-EGPI lists economic profit as their primary
concern. While the DAR also lists the economic genre as one of their top concerns, their
focus is on the projects negative impacts to their current sources of livelihood as the
topic of contention, rather than the benefits.
The mining firm paints mining as a development solution to the economic woes
of the municipality. The community, in turn, focuses on the environmental impact of
mining as their main sources of livelihood remain anchored on undamaged natural
environment. However, the Lobo SB straddles the fence; it considers both the economic
benefit offered by the project, as well as the potential harm it poses to the Lobo
environment. The absence of total parallelism in terms of concerns creates a tense
relationship among stakeholders on opposite sides of the spectrum.
While all stakeholders listed the economic impacts of the project as a top concern,
their justifications vary and contrast. Definitions of development and the focus on local
or national economic development are among their main differences. The economic
aspect is also considered in relation to the environment by the DAR and the Lobo SB, but
this is not entirely reflected in the DENR and MRL-EGPIs discourse.
76
Matrix 1. Themes in Economic Discourse
THEMES
DESCRIPTION
The stakeholders
employed varying
definitions of
development in their
documents and
interviews. This may
account for the
divergence in perceived
economic impact of the
project.
Definitions of
development
and
sustainable
development
Expressed by:
DAR
MRL-EPGI
Lobo SB
The DAR see economic

development as the
improvement of
agricultural technology
and expanded
ecotourism. While they
also recognize the
mining industrys
contribution to the
national economy, they
prioritize their existing
agricultural and
ecotourism industries
over mining, citing it to
be more sustainable than
mining given the areas
renewable resources.
However, the Lobo SB,
DENR and MRL-EGPI
defined development as
increased employment
opportunities, and
industrialization, giving
no credence to the
existing sources of
livelihood in Lobo. They
also repeatedly used the
term sustained
development, but was
unclear on its definition.
The mining firm also
ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE
QUOTATIONS
Relevant phrases from BSU-Lobos
letter to former DENR Secretary Ramon
Paje (dated 9 June 2015):
land resources...crops
agriculture and fishery have been the
two major sustainable livelihood for
decades
vast agricultural and marine resources
gainful employment in the farmlands
and small-scale food processing
enterprises
on the track of a prime Ecotourism
Industry
strong momentum towards ecotourism
industry
prime agro-tourism platform
We have so many hungry mouths to
feed in our country. This can also be
rehabilitated to the extent that it might
be better than where we started."
- Egertons EIA
77
Inequitable
environmental
and economic
impacts
Expressed by:
DAR
Lobo SB
Responsible
mining
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
DENR
Quid pro quo

for the greater
economic good
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
Lobo SB
DENR
framed mining as the

solution for poverty.
The DAR and, to an
extent, the Lobo SB and
DENR representatives,
believe that the
environmental impact of
the project is
disproportionate to the
proffered economic
benefits of the project.
Kanila ang ginto, amin ang guho.

(They get the gold, we get the
destruction.)
Female, resident of Brgy. Balibago
Patay ang damo, patay ang tao. (When
the plants die, so do the people.)
Male, resident of Brgy. Mabilog na
Bundok
Lahat pinapangako ng MRL. (MRL

promises everything.) Female,
resident of Brgy. Balibago
The DENR
Bastat responsible mining ang
representatives and the
gagawin ng company...promotion of
mining firm are steadfast responsible mining for the benefit of the
in their beliefs that the
concerned community. (As long as the
project is acceptable,
company will do responsible mining,
given that it will observe we will promote responsible mining for
responsible mining
the benefit of the concerned
operations. This is the
community.)
DENR's expectation and - MGB informant
EGPI's promise.
In contrast to
The real prob... Ah, were talking
"disproportionate
about economic liability... Nung una
environmental and
kasi, ang tinigin namin, 26 hectares
economic impacts ", this lang enough na. And, then, the other
theme is expressed in
people, they keep on talking about
the mining firm, the SB, environmental problems. Ah, hindi ko
and the DENR's
tinignan yung issue ng environment
perspective in which
nung una. Kasi, and problema talaga sa
development comes with Lobo is economic and social pa. (The
a price. While the Lobo real problem... Ah, were talking about
SB evaluated the
economic liability. At first, we though
balance between
that 26 hectares was enough. But other
economic benefits and
people kept on talking about
potential for
environmental problems. At first I
rehabilitation prior to
didnt focus on the issue of
endorsing the project,
environment. Because the main problem
the mining firm saw it as in Lobo is really economic and social.)
a stepping-stone to
- Male, former Chairman of the
industrial and rural
Committee for the Environment, Lobo
development, and that
Sangguniang Bayan of 2015
the environmental effect
78
of the project is a fair
price to pay in exchange
for progress.
This fails to take into
account the long-term
effects of a damaged
environment on a
nature-dependent
community, the current
nature of export-oriented
mining in the
Philippines, as well as
the limited number of
residents that can be
taken as employees.
Indirect
economic
benefits of the
project
(e.g.,
employment in
consequent
industries)
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
Lobo SB
Aside from general

statements claiming the
effect of the mining
industry to national
development, the mining
firm also mentions
specific indirect
employment and
industry opportunities in
the local and
surrounding areas, made
possible by the
development of a mining
project in Lobo.
At certain portion, yes, but it is part of

development. What shall we do with the
materials that we have? We have so
many hungry mouths to feed in our
country.
- Egerton's EIA
The Project expects more positive
impacts in terms of economic aspects,
while in terms of environmental
impacts, least negative impacts or even
improvement of the existing
environmental conditions is aimed of.
- Egerton's EIA
Long term, high profit mining
translates into higher revenues... and
improved chances of human resource
and countryside development by
creating self-reliant communities away
from urban centers.
- Egerton's EIA
"Definitely, the company will employ
workers from here but look for the
qualified ones"; "Preference will be
given to qualified and skilled residents
of the host communities."
- Egertons EIA
Multiplier effect...where business can
be put up to the consequences of
mining.
- Egerton's EIA
...looking for trainings such as welding
and other TESDA-accredited training to
train interested residents.
- Egerton's EIA
[The project] will generate
employment opportunities to the people
of Lobo.
- Egerton's EIA
[The project] will translate to sustained
79
development in, and significant benefit
to, the host and adjoining communities.
- Egerton's EIA
Both the DAR and the
mining firm cited socioeconomic rights as a
basis for their opinions
of the project. The
former perceived the
mining project as
violating their socioSocio-economic economic rights, given
rights
that if their immediate
surroundings are
damaged by the project,
Expressed by: their current sources of
livelihood will be
DAR
MRL-EPGI compromised.
However, EGPI uses the
same sentiment in the
opposite manner: it is
the companys right, in
compliance with
Philippine law, to mine
in the Philippines.
[The project presents] hazards and

impacts to the people's socio-economic
rights.
- directly affected residents letter to
former President Benigno Aquino III
(n.d.)
Mindoro, through its 100% held
Philippines subsidiary, MRL Gold
Phils. Inc, has the right to earn...
- MRLs Press Release dated 29
November 2000
Overlaps in the economic discourse are present among the stakeholders, but only
just. All stakeholders overlapped in the discourses referring to employment. However,
this is not a complete overlap, given that the DAR is against the contractual and limited
nature of the employment opportunities presented by MRL-EGPI, and MRL-EGPI
mentions that only qualified residents are to be considered for employment. In this
sense, the DAR overlapped with only MRL-EGPI, while the latter overlapped with the
DENR and Lobo SB.
80
Figure 6. Overlaps According to Economic Discourse
negative impact to
current sources of
livelihood
contractual
employment for only a
few residents
contractual
employment only for
qualified residents
employment
opportunities
Directly affected residents

Lobo Sangguniang Bayan
MRL EGPI
DENR-EMB and MGB-IVa
The only stakeholder to list social concerns as their primary interest is the DAR.
Certain social effects were mentioned only by the DAR, such as health and safety. The
Lobo SB noted the social impacts of the project as one of their top concerns, but this is
mostly due to its relation to the economic impacts (i.e., how the projects economic
impact will affect social welfare). Both the DENR and MRL-EGPI showed low
consideration of the social impacts of the project beyond what is mandated in the
Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
81
Matrix 2. Themes in Social Discourse
THEME
DESCRIPTION
This theme manifested
mostly in the documents of
and focus group discussion
with the DAR. Mining is
perceived to bring health
impacts due to changes in
the environment.
Health and safety
Expressed by:
DAR
Social development
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
DENR
DAR
QUOTES
Lobo Watershed is the
source of potable water of
the nearby community and
is situated adjacent to the
proposed mining and
processing plant in Sitio
Batang, Brgy. Mabilog na
Bundok, which may be
damaged in time when
mine tailings are
discharged.
- Lobo Water District in a
letter to DENR-EMB,
dated 3 June 2012
This is not echoed in any

other stakeholder
document or interview.
The negative effects of
mining extends only to the
environmental impact and
its relation to the sources of
livelihood in the country.
[Lobo is] highly
susceptible to flooding as
classified by DENR
(2012).
- BSU-Lobo in their letter
to former DENR Secretary
Paje, dated 9 June 2015
This refers to the DENRKasi in our -- in the
required Social
process, 'no, we require
Development Program to
them [the company] to
be proposed by the
submit a Social
company. The company
Development Program, and
also mentioned its mining
that will be the basis for
history, although the
the Social Development
reference was a
and Management Program
motherhood statement.
that is being required by
the MGB. Mines and
The community also refers Geosciences Bureau.
to this in a tangent, saying EMB informant
that whatever social
development plan to be
...for the betterment of the
applied in the area should
majority
be appropriate to the needs - Brgy. Sawang and
of the majority, and that
Mabilog na Bundok
mining is not the means to
this development.
"Petitioner has a sound
track record of Community
Development Programs... It
will continue to uphold that
82
A very contentious word

among the stakeholders,
social acceptability
manifested in all units of
analysis both explicitly and
implicitly.
Social acceptability
Expressed by:
DENR
Lobo SB
MRL-EGPI
DAR
The Lobo SB, the DENR

and the MRL-EGPI all
explicitly mentioned that
the project requires the
social acceptance of the
Lobo community.
However, the stakeholders
manifested contrasting
ideas on whether the
project is socially
acceptable or not. Aside
from the official retraction
of the endorsement from
the Sangguniang Bayan.
The FGD participants,
while not explicitly stating
whether they find the
project socially acceptable
or not, were adamant that
the project should be
cancelled.
commitment through its

Social Development
Management Program
(SDMP)."
- Egertons Petition for
Reconsideration of
Resolution 2015-53, dated
4 August 2015
socially acceptable...
...significant benefits to
the host and adjoining
communities
- Lobo Sangguniang
Bayan, Lobo SB
20 April 2015
...found to be lacking in
social acceptability
- Lobo Sangguniang
Bayan, Lobo SB
15 July 2015
In summary, the overlaps of the stakeholders social discourses are not wholly
convergent. The DARs concerns have no overlap with another stakeholders. The Lobo
SB held two positions regarding social acceptability, but did not elaborate on the
social-related reasons for social inacceptability aside from the projects effect on the
83
environment. In this sense, the DENR, Lobo SB, and MRL-EGPI all mentioned the
potential for social development.
Figure 7. Overlaps According to Social Discourse
negative health
effects due to
pollutants
lack of confidence in
social development
projects
social development through

livelihood projects

MRL EGPI
Both the DAR and the Lobo SB did not manifest political discourse in their
documents and interviews/focus group discussion. Their political discourse extends only
to the acknowledgement of political authority. However, the DENRs and MRL-EGPIs
discourses frequently referred to the existing environmental laws and policies of the
Philippines.
84
Matrix 3. Themes in Political Discourse
THEME
DESCRIPTION
This seems most evident in
the interview with the
DENR-EMB representative
and Egertons EIA. As
long as the proponent
complies with all existing
laws and policies, the
project will be approved.
This implies that the law is
rigid, and could not be
adjusted according to the
context in which it is to be
applied. The same law
Policy compliance as basis applies to both denuded
and uninhabited Philippine
for decisions
land, as well as biodiverse
and agriculturally
Expressed by:
dependent municipalities.
MRL-EPGI
DENR
On the other hand, the
Lobo SB
Lobo SBs reference to
policy was more flexible;
they did not limit
themselves to existing
laws, but drafted a local
policy.
Consultation process
Expressed by:
DAR
Lobo SB
MRL-EGPI
QUOTES
Samin naman kasi, as
long as it complies with the
environmental laws,
environmental standards
set by our country, wala
tayong problema dun. Pero
if they violate one of the
ano, laws natin, existing
laws, then 'di natin
papayagan na mag-go
yung project, ma-push
through. (For us, as long as
it complies with the
environmental laws,
environmental standards
set by our country, we have
no problem with it. But if
they violate one of our
existing laws, then we
wont allow the project to
push through.)
- EMB informant
"Egerton will comply with

all laws."
"Egerton not part of
legislative processes."
Petitioner has consistently
and steadfastly complied
with the requirements of
the law insofar as
environmental protection is
concerned.
- Egertons EIA
Both the DAR and the
Beyond the people's
Lobo SB harbored negative knowledge
perceptions towards the
Without prior and
consultation done by the
substantial consultation
company, or lack thereof.
with the affected
stakeholders
The FGD participants felt
- Lobo residents in a letter
that the company, their
to former President Aquino
local government, and the
(n.d.)
DENR did not conduct
85
substantial and sincere
public consultations prior
to endorsing the project.
There was also no real
feedback mechanism
through which the residents
can negotiate their
responses to the other
stakeholders statements.
The Lobo SB was also
allegedly intentionally
misinformed of the scope
of the project. According to
the interviewed
representative, this was the
catalyst for their
endorsement cancellation.
Without discussing the

real nature of the project
Without substantial and
meaningful consultation
- Brgy. Sawang and
Mabilog na Bundok
They lied to our faces.
- Male, former chairman
for the Committee for the
Environment of the Lobo
Sangguniang Bayan
"Resolution No. 2015-26 is

'socially acceptable' and
reflects the true voice and
sentiment of the Honorable
Sangguniang Bayan's
constituents - the people of
Additionally, the mining
Lobo."
company exhibited
- Egertons Petition for
misleading logic when they Reconsideration of
declaring the first SB
resolution as reflective of
4 August 2015
the communitys
sentiments, but
[The Municipal Mayor of
disregarding the second SB Lobo] manifested his
resolution as the same.
readiness to support us if
This implies that the
there are some precarious
company only validates the issues that may crop up in
sentiments that work in
our meetings, dialogues
their favor, which further
and discussions with
skews the publics
parties of interest to our
understanding of the event. exploration activities.
- Egertons EIA
Overall, the stakeholders held similar interests when it came to the political
discourse genre. All stakeholders recognized the need for observing the law and proper
channels when gathering or expressing their concerns. The DENR, Lobo SB, and MRLEGPI also reiterated the importance of complying with the existing environmental laws.
However, the Lobo DAR and SB expressed their dissatisfaction with the current
86
environmental laws applicable to their locality; they mentioned the possibility of future
actions that aim to amend the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, or enact new local laws that
are in line with their interests.
Figure 8. Overlaps According to Political Discourse
up to the national
government to
create or amend
policies preventing
mining in Lobo
observance of bureaucratic
channels and legal means for
communicating among
stakeholders
compliance to
requirements as
mandated by
Philippine Mining
Act of 1995
MRL EGPI
All stakeholders did not frequently manifest environmental sentiments in their

discourse. The most mentions of environmental concerns came from the DAR,
considering that they mention their economic dependency on their environment. Most
notable of these environmental concerns is the DENRs lack of such. The extent of their
environmental discourse reaches only to its relation to existing environmental laws, such
that the project should not violate any of these. Given that they are a national institution
founded on the countrys environmental state, the researchers found it significant that
environmental concerns were not frequently mentioned by the DENR. The MRL-EGPI
87
discourse mentioned only positive environmental sentiments, such as ensuring the use of
environmentally friendly technology in their mining operations.
Matrix 4. Themes in Environmental Discourse

THEME
DESCRIPTION
This strategy was used by
both the directly affected
residents and the mining
company, as shown in their
documents and focus group
discussion. However, the
two parties were polar
opposites in their
selectivity.
Selective use of Philippine

mining history
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
DAR
The DAR cited only

negative cases of
Philippine mining, while
the mining firm generally
gave positive statements
regarding the industry. As
expected, this was done in
order to further their
agendas. Being against the
mining project, the
residents only cited the
negative impacts of the
industry. Being a mining
firm, the company only
gave environmentally
sound statements.
This is not to say that one
is right while the other is
wrong. Mining has had
both good and bad history
in the Philippines. The
polarity of the two parties
when it came to citing
history simply goes to
show how their documents
are purposely framed to
support their goals.
QUOTES
Sa dami po ng kaso dito
sa Pilipinas. [...] Di
naman all the time yung
technical nila ay nandiyan
mismo. (The number of
cases in the Philippines...
[...] The technicals arent
always in the area.)
Female, employed in
Lobo
There are several
experiences of other
companies in the
Philippines and abroad
using similar technology;
best international practices
and expertise will be
utilized.
Petitioner is committed to
responsible and sustainable
mining and mineral
processing. It has an
excellent track record for
sustainable mining
development.
- Egertons EIA
88
Environmental guarantees
Expressed by:
MRL-EPGI
Technicalities
Expressed by:
DAR
LGU
DENR
The mining firm addressed

some environmental
concerns in their
documents. They
sometimes refer to the
Verde Island Passage,
which is a major
environmental concern for
the residents and other
environmental groups
involved in the issue.
The statements are mainly
assurances rather than
concrete statements of
action. The reason for the
use of motherhood
statements may be because
the company was avoiding
the use technical jargon in
their EIA.
In contrast to the positive
assurances made by the
company, the DAR and the
DENR-EMB gave a more
objective and quantifiable
perspective when it came
to the environment. The
Lobo SB also used
technicalities in arguing
against the project, given
that they cited the size of
the proposed mining
operation.
...takes into account and

protects the biodiversity of
Lobo and the Verde Island
Passage.
...an advanced approach
to environmental
sustainability that is
uniquely designed to
mitigate any risks to the
local environment,
particularly the Verde
Island Passage.
Petitioner will always
maintain a sustainable
environmental condition
around the area, including
the Verde Island Passage,
at every stage of the
operation.
- Egerton EIA
Hindi naman lahat [ng
waste] nawawala. (Not all
mining waste dissolves.)
Female, resident of Brgy.
Balibago
You have to check-andbalance, so if the project
will cause a significant
impact dun sa
environment, and the
community will not benefit
from it, so, we do not issue
the ECC. EMB
informant
89
Only the DAR and Lobo
SB (in their second
resolution) mentioned the
possible severity of the
projects environmental
impacts.
Severe environmental
impact
Expressed by:
DAR
LGU
Reactive versus preventive

approach
Expressed by:
DAR
Para sakin kasi (For me),

water is life. Water is more
precious than gold.
- Female, employed in
Lobo
They lied to our faces. [...]

Pero nung ginawa mo yung
300 hectares, hindi na
kayang tumbasan ng kita.
Yung 300 hectares, hindi
mo na matutumbasan yung
impact sa environment na
mas magiging devastating
yung effect doon sa tao.
[...] Hindi kayang ireciprocate nung mining
yung makukuha nila sa
The interviewed LGU
bayan. So, tingin ko, nasa
representative also
losing end yung mga tao at
mentioned the severity of
saka yung bayan namin
the projects environmental kung matuloy na ganun
effects, given its size.
kalaki. (But when they
made it 300 hectares, the
income wouldnt match.
The 300 hectares, it would
be able to match the
environmental impact that
would be more devastating
to the people. [...] [The
income from] mining cant
reciprocate the amount
theyll be extracting from
the town. In my opinion,
the people and our
municipality are at the
losing end if that large of a
project pushes through.)
This was mostly
Bakit kailangan nating
manifested in the focus
malaman pa yung cause
group discussion with the
and effect [ng mining]
directly affected residents, kung ngayon pa lang
in which they took a more
puwede na nating
proactive approach to the
agapan? (Why do we
environmental effects of
need to discover the cause
the project.
and effects of mining when
One of the FGD
participants, an employee
in the Lobo Water District,
mentioned the significance
of water in sustaining life.
This statement was made
in support of the perceived
effect of the project to the
existing water sources and
water pathways in Lobo.
90
we can prevent them in the
first place?)
- Male, resident of Brgy.
Mabilog ng Bundok
All stakeholders acknowledged the possibility of environmental damage if the

mining operation was to push through. However, their convergence is limited only to that
aspect.
Figure 9. Overlaps According to Environmental Discourse
cases of
environmentally
destructive mining
environmental
damage
rehabilitation and mitigating measures
information, education and
communication to improve knowledge
on mining
cases of non-destructive
mining

MRL EGPI
A summary diagram was constructed to provide a clear visual representation of

the multi-stakeholder discourses surrounding mining in Lobo. Percentages were used as
the basis for the size (in pixels) of the circles and their overlaps to represent the
stakeholders convergent and divergent discourse themes.
91
Of the themes generated from the data, 34.7% are themes that were mentioned
only by the DAR, while the MRL-EGPI uniquely expressed 18.4% of the themes. This
means that more than half (55.8%) of the stakeholder discourses are not convergent.
Only one theme was common among all stakeholders, comprising 2% of the total
discourses: the concept of social acceptability. This, in essence, cannot truly be
considered a convergent theme, since the DAR and the Lobo SB view the project as
socially unacceptable (mentioned in the documents as socially inacceptable). On the
other hand, MRL-EGPI sees it as acceptable, and the DENR perceives that the
community can be convinced to accept the project. Given the polarity of these
perspectives, the lone seemingly convergent theme does not truly indicate convergence.
The DAR also shared 2% each with the mining company and the Lobo SB, and
with the Lobo SB and the DENR. Given that 2% is too small to be visibly illustrated in
proportion to the other overlaps, these were represented using the blue and green dots in
the figure.
The largest overlap among the themes is between MRL-EGPI and the Lobo SB,
comprising 10.2% of all the themes. Other overlaps each comprised 8.2% of the total
discourses: the common themes between the DAR and the MRL-EGPI, the DAR and the
Lobo SB, and those among the MRL-EGPI, the Lobo SB, and the DENR.
The aforementioned 8.2% of the themes common among the mining company, the
Lobo SB, and the DENR were focused around compliance to the Philippine Mining Act
of 1995 and the Local Government Code, as well as the significant development potential
of the mining project. The theme environmentally safe/sound was not included, given
92
that it was present in the first SB resolution, but not in the subsequent documents
released.
Aside from the fact that the DENR relies on EGPIs Environmental Impact
Assessment, the interviews with the DENR representatives also yielded a 6.1% overlap
between their and MRL-EGPIs discourses. The common topics mentioned by the DENR
representatives include social development from mining and the projects social
acceptability.
Although the aforementioned stakeholders seem to agree on the supposed benefits
of the mining project, the DAR expressed hostility towards it, highlighting that the
communitys current sources of livelihood, which are largely dependent on agriculture
and tourism, negate the suggested need for a large-scale mining project to uplift the
economy.
Environmental concerns were commonly mentioned across the three interviewed
stakeholders. The main contentions in this genre lie in the fact that the community felt as
if their concerns are not effectively addressed, or that even if they express their dissent to
the DENR and MRL-EGPI, the mining project might still have pushed through.
To reiterate, the main concerns of the DAR lay on the social, economic, and
environmental impact of the project. The remaining stakeholders mentioned other
discourse genres rather than the explicitly stated priorities of the DAR. While the data
suggest that there are common discourses among the stakeholders in terms of genre, there
seems to be little to no real convergence towards the concerns of the DAR.
93
Figure 10. Discourse Convergence and Divergence
94
CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Based on the analysis of public documents, interviews, and focus group
discussion, the dominant concerns and social power of each stakeholder were established.
It was observed that the stakeholders sometimes overlapped on which discourse genres
they deemed most important or focused on most often. However, the overlaps seem to be
limited to genre while certain stakeholders are on the same plane, their emphasized
topics contrast or do not meet.
When considering the economic concerns expressed by the stakeholders, it was
found that all four referred to employment, but differed in their favored type of
employment.
The DENR and Mindoro Resources Limited Egerton Gold Phils., Inc. (MRLEGPI) repeatedly emphasized the economic potential of the project, citing increased
employment opportunities and national economic development as the main benefits. The
Lobo Sangguniang Bayan (SB) also briefly expressed their support for the project for the
same reason, citing that Lobos biggest problem is socio-economic in nature. However,
while the directly affected residents (DAR) acknowledged this, they exhibited strong
discontent at the proffered jobs in the mining site. Ghost employees, contractual and
rotational employment, and potential effects to their current sources of livelihood were
among the reasons for their objections. They cited their agriculture, fishing, and tourism
as the more sustainable and preferred source of income. In this sense, while there was
some overlap among the Lobo SB, DENR and MRL-EGPI's economic discourses, these
did not overlap with the DAR's economic concerns.
95
The social discourse is almost inseparable from the economic and environment
discourses due to the environmentally dependent nature of the Lobo residents lives and
livelihood. Three stakeholders (i.e., Lobo SB, MRL-EPGI, and DENR) focused on the
Social Development Plan provided by the mining company, which is a mandated
requirement by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Included in this plan are livelihood
projects, infrastructure improvement or construction, and other development projects.
The documents and interviews with the overlapping stakeholders generally focused on
the social benefits of the proposed mining project. However, the DAR who participated
in the FGD, along with their released documents, hardly mentioned these benefits. In the
FGD, it was observed that the participants showed little faith in the development projects.
Their focus was mostly on how the environmental damage might affect community
health, as well as the flora and fauna upon which they are dependent.
All four stakeholders have common environmental concerns in terms of the
proposed projects potential effect to the environment of Lobo. However, specific topics
are not covered across all four stakeholders. The DAR cite environmental damage and
past cases of environmentally damaging mining operations in the country. However,
while the Lobo SB, MRL-EGPI, and DENR also discuss the potential environmental
effects, they discuss more positive topics that the DAR did not mention or believe in.
These include rehabilitation and mitigating measures, and the use of IEC (information,
education, and communication) to improve the communities knowledge on mining. The
latter should be taken with a grain of salt, since this implies that the DENR and MRLEGPI are on the intellectual high-ground. To counter the DARs citation of cases, the
MRL-EGPI also cited cases of non-destructive mining in the Philippines and abroad, but
96
did not mention a specific area or company. The concept of social acceptability is the
only topic in which all four stakeholders overlap.
Given that the analyzed documents released by the stakeholders are either
addressed to or authored by government entities, the political aspect manifests in both
sentiments expressed, and the implications of to whom the documents are addressed. The
DARs main sentiment was expressed in their letters, addressed to the national
government, who is responsible for authoring and amending policies that may affect their
municipality. The DENR-EMB and MGB IVa also expressed the importance of
following the existing environmental laws and requirements, which serves as their basis
for granting the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). Due to this, the mining
company also repeatedly mentions that it will follow or comply with the aforementioned
requirements.
The Lobo SB also exhibited political discourse in the interview conducted. The
informant said that the LGU merely practiced its mandate of serving their constituents, as
well as the authoring of the Total Mining Ban ordinance. While the legislative branch of
Philippine government is not considered as a direct stakeholder in this study, it should be
noted that the Lobo SB was told they did not have the authority to issue the said
ordinance. The only topic in which the DAR did not overlap with the other stakeholders
is the compliance to the requirements as mandated by the Philippine Mining Act,
presumably due to their demand to amend the said Act.
Overall, the overlap of discourses among the four stakeholders was summarized
in Figure 10. Few overlaps can be seen between the DAR and the other stakeholders, due
to the differences in favorability and confidence in the presented project effects/benefits.
97
The greatest overlap can be seen between the DENR and MRL-EGPI. It must be noted,
however, that the sole document for DENR is the EGPI-authored EIA, which may
explain the large convergence of discourses. To compensate for this lack of documents,
the interviews with the DENR representatives shed insight on their own priorities
regardless of the EIAs contents.
With all these, the final objective of this research has been answered: the
dominant concerns of the DAR are not completely reflected or addressed by the other
stakeholders.
As seen from the analysis of the documents, interviews, and FGD, the study
generally reflected the observations of some studies done in other countries. The
importance of studying stakeholders, their discourse, and the part the DAR play is
emphasized in this consistency with past social research. It was assumed that over time,
stakeholder communication surrounding large-scale projects will have improved from the
various problematic cases already studied. However, the lack of local studies and
awareness of the nuances of communication events may have added to this repeat of
history.
It was established in the review of related literature that stakeholder analysis
extends beyond mere identification and network establishment. Knowing who interacts
with whom is vital in determining the influence of stakeholder relationships over
decision-making. This was observed in which the Lobo SB and the DAR, as well as the
DENR and MRL-EGPI, had exhibited more communication compared to other
stakeholder relationships; their discourses are more parallel than other stakeholders
discourses. This research also looked into the content of communication among the four
98
stakeholders, the ways in which they had communicated with each other, their roles in the
various communication events, and how specific ties affected the relationship of the DAR
to the MRL-affiliated barangay officials. Such findings address what Prell et. al.s (2009)
study lacked, since their study only discussed the surface-level connections among
stakeholders, and not the subtleties within such connections. The strong ties and single
information-sourcing between the DENR and MRL-EGPI may have also explained why
the DENR seemed to defend the rationale of MRL-EGPIs mining proposal over the
communitys contentions.
The stakeholders concerns were also in line with Bosh-Rekveldt et. al.s (2016)
cited concerns: water and sanitation, safety and fairness, national development, and
environmental effects. The stakeholders also disagreed on the relative importance of each
interest, given their differences in prioritization. As was observed in Walter and
Martinez-Alier (2010), the definitions of development varied among the stakeholders.
While the DENR and MRL-EGPI sought mining as a means to national development, the
DAR (and to some extent, the Lobo SB) preferred the improvement of current
agricultural practices and enhancement of ecotourism as their means to development.
Some parallelism with Attar and Genus (2014) study was also found. The DAR
stated that their opinions were not sufficiently heard in the meetings between the Lobo
SB, hence their effort to communicate directly with the DENR, and appeals to other
government executives. However, due to lack of the raw transcripts of the public
hearings, the validity or extent of this claim cannot be determined. Insights from the
DENR-EMB informant can be used to supplement the missing data: the second type of
opposition he identified was one who can be educated to understand the nature of mining
99
and who will eventually approve. This implied support for the mining company and slight
belittlement of the residents knowledge or other sources of information.
Framing was also very explicit in the documents provided by each stakeholder.
The DENRs reference to the three stakeholders is generally neutral, except for
occasional connoted depreciation of local knowledge. However, the same cannot be said
of the other stakeholders. EGPIs Motion for Reconsideration framed the residents in
such a way that it seemed as if they all unanimously and wholly approved of the mining
project, and that the Lobo SB was betraying their constituents in favor of outsiders or
strangers opinions.
The DARs framing of all other stakeholders was also fairly overt. The use of
words like devious and luring in reference to the mining company suggested that the
MRL-EGPI is a malevolent being. Their orientation of the local government unit and the
DENR was also negative; the Lobo SB and DENR were not complying with their
mandate of serving the people and protecting the environment. EGPI also framed the
Lobo SB in a similar manner, citing their endorsement cancellation as catering to the
opinions of outsiders and strangers, instead of their constituents.
As with Hostettler (2015), the sole provider of information was the company
through their EIA. No other study was used. The EIA was constantly referred to by the
DENR, and was only said to be reviewed by a DENR-appointed committee. To the best
of the researchers knowledge, no third-party or independent study was used by the
DENR to complement the EIA. The DAR, however, made use of BSU-Lobos study.
When the DARs opinions or questions were gathered, they were usually answered with
reassurances or correct information to the point of patronizing them. As cited by Prell et.
100
al. (2009), providing information has been noted as the most effective way to gain the
support and involvement of individuals and organizations.
Similarly, Hostettlers (2015) case also cited transparency as an issue when it
came to providing information to the public. Feedback was also not adequately given by
the DENR after gathering the concerns of the residents, as reported by the FGD
participants.
When considering Tang-Lees (2016) study on stakeholder engagement, it can be
said that the DAR had a certain level of engagement, though it was not as decisionmakers. They may not agree with the opinions, but the Lobo SB allegedly considered the
DARs sentiments as well as that of outsiders in reevaluating the projects
acceptability.
The DAR also employed a community-engagement approach when they
demanded for a dialogue with the DENR, and wrote letters addressed to other
government officials, as high up as the former President himself. The study also reflected
Hostettlers (2015) case study of the Tampakan Project, in which the DAR perceived the
social development projects in exchange for their approval.
In terms of the patterns of interaction, which manifested in their language
(language used, jargons used, function of speech) and topic/s emphasized (in terms of the
different genres: economic, political, social, and environmental), data showed that the
DAR seem to come from a subordinate position, using terms that suggest vulnerability
and lack of power. Their arguments, however, are strengthened with data based on
scientific research and historical accounts.
101
The MRL-EGPI, on the other hand, used formal and idealistic language,
highlighting the environmental soundness and positive impacts of the project. The
researchers lacked the proper reference to analyze DENRs language, since the agency
solely relied on MRL-EGPIs EIA and did not author or produce their own document.
As for the Lobo SB, the documents they released emphasized the importance of
their role to protect and conserve the environment, and ensure the welfare of their
constituents. In terms of the topic/s emphasized, the documents released by the different
stakeholders generally emphasized the environmental and economic impacts, both
positive and negative, of the proposed project.
What this study glaringly lacked was Participatory Development Communication
as defined by Flor and Kheerajit (2013). Other organizations not directly involved in
Lobo may have been considered in the Lobo SBs reevaluation, but the former was
disregarded by both the DENR and the MRL-EGPI. Participatory Development
Communication goes beyond merely informing and persuading the DAR to agree with
the dominant stakeholders.
The dominant stakeholders emerged when the social power of the stakeholders
were taken into account. Given that the Lobo SB had the most access to and direct
communication with all the other stakeholders, in addition to its mandated political
authority in approving projects, it is perceived to be the most powerful stakeholder. On
the premise that social power also pertains to the control over information (Van Dijk,
2005), MRL-EGPI is the second most powerful stakeholder, provided that the DENR and
the Lobo SB relied on information they release. The DAR are, then, considered to be the
least powerful stakeholder, as their concerns, although vigilantly expressed, are mostly
102
unrecognized by the more dominant stakeholders. This follows what previous studies
have found on multi-stakeholder natural resource management projects (Attar & Genus,
2014; Hostettler, 2015).
CHAPTER VII. IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter discusses the implications of the current study at the theoretical,
methodological, and practical levels. It shows how this research has contributed to the
body of knowledge in relation to the role of social power in discourses surrounding
projects that involve multiple stakeholders; specifically, how stakeholders varying
discourses converge towards a single purpose.
A. Theoretical Issues
The current study aimed to gauge the social power held by the stakeholders by
looking into the public discourses surrounding permit-acquisition in the Municipality of
Lobo in Batangas. In order to fulfill such objective, three theories were utilized to guide
the research; these are Mark Reed et. al.s Stakeholder Analysis (2009), Teun A. Van
Dijks Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) (2005), and L. Edna Rogers and Richard
Faraces Relational Control (1973). Additionally, concepts from Marvin Lawrence De
Fleurs Transaction Communication Model (1993), which posits that communicators
both create and consume messages to build a circular exchange leading to convergence,
were also adapted in order to set the premise for the studys use of the aforementioned
theories.
Stakeholder Analysis is mainly used to shed light on processes that involve
various stakeholders forwarding different interests. It is a method that involves: 1)
defining aspects of a social or natural phenomenon affected by a decision or action, 2)
103
identifying stakeholders that are affected by and can affect such phenomena, and 3)
prioritizing the involvement of each stakeholder, through understanding their differences
and investigating relationships between them. This model became our basis in coming up
with a method to identify stakeholders and recognize their interests.
The Critical Discourse Analysis, on the other hand, claims that discourses are
channels through which social characters communicate their interests and social power
relative to other characters. Considering such theoretical premise, the researchers
gathered different texts (i.e., transcripts/minutes of meetings and public hearings, public
documents, press releases/statements, petitions, and resolutions, as well as interviews and
a focus group discussion) relevant to MRL-EGPIs proposed mining project in Lobo,
Batangas from the different stakeholders. In turn, the concepts of structure and context
were used in analyzing said texts in order for the researchers to understand the underlying
social power of each stakeholder. The texts were also compared with each other to see
whether there is a convergence, or at least a movement or pattern towards convergence,
of stakeholder interests.
While Stakeholder Analysis became the basis in the identification of stakeholders
and their interests, and Critical Discourse Analysis provided the tool through which
discourses may be analyzed for differences and/or similarities to surface, Rogers and
Faraces Relational Control (1973) helped define how such differences and/similarities
come to play in determining the relationship between the stakeholders and, through
looking into such relationships, each stakeholders social control, i.e., whether a
stakeholder assumes a domineering or submissive stance.
104
The said theories were able to shed light on how social power comes into play in
determining whose interests have the most influence in the decision-making process. The
theories also guided the researchers in looking into how discourses manifest these
interests and each stakeholders social power. Basically, the researchers found that
critical discourse analysis studies can be made more comprehensive when one employs
the concept of relational control.
Hence, the researchers propose that future studies on the topic should utilize
theories that provide insight on the role of each stakeholder in the midst of the network,
as a whole. A recommended theory is the Social Network Analysis, which allows
researchers to quantify the pattern of relations among stakeholders (e.g., degree and
closeness). This theory provides a tool with which researchers may evaluate the
location/role and grouping of actors in the network.
Furthermore, since the researchers were not given access to the dialogues and
transcripts of meetings that show the raw conversations between stakeholders, the
researchers were not able to fully utilize Rogers and Faraces Relational Control theory
(1973), which delves into patterns of interaction in talk rather than text. The researchers,
nonetheless, attempted to tailor the suggested method to the documents they gained
access to and the conducted interviews and focus group discussion.
B. Methodological Issues
The researchers utilized discourse analysis, key-informant interviews, and a focus
group discussion to achieve the studys objectives. Although this methodology served
sufficient in fulfilling the objectives of the current case, it may present new data when a
quantitative approach is used. For instance, new patterns may emerge when Social
105
Network Analysis is utilized. It may also provide deeper insights on the relations within
the network, rather than merely the content of texts.
The researchers also lacked the means to create a more sophisticated
mathematical representation of the convergence and divergence of the stakeholders
concerns and interests, since a software that can aid in making such approximations was
inaccessible. Matrices compiling themes according to genres were created in order to find
discourse overlaps. Diagrams were, then, used to represent such overlaps and illustrate
convergence and divergence of stakeholder concerns and interests. However, as
aforementioned, the overlaps were only measured through eyeball approximation.
Researchers who wish to take on similar endeavors are recommended to use clustering
software to accurately represent discourse convergence and divergence.
The study was also limited by the lack of access to the transcript of public
hearings, as the document is said to be confidential since the DENR had not yet released
an official decision at the time of data-gathering. The researchers were also unable to
establish communication with MRL or EGPI since the companies have closed their
known offices. Hence, the researchers only had access to their documents available on
their official website and the 2015 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) provided by
the DENR. Such problems may be prevented if key-persons from each stakeholder are
identified prior to data-gathering to avoid red tape.
C. Practical Issues
Apart from contributing to the pool of knowledge in relation to discourses
surrounding natural-resource management processes that involve various stakeholders
with varying interests, as well as the role of social power in such cases, the researchers
106
hope for stakeholders and social actors who may face similar situations to utilize the
findings of this study. As the study revealed that stakeholders tend to have varying
priorities based on their background and have stronger ties with others of similar
interests, the researchers suggest that these insights be used as guide in creating more
harmonious and equitable relationships, especially for disadvantaged groups.
Given that the directly affected residents concerns were not wholly reflected in
the other stakeholders discourses, relevant government agencies may have to amend
their protocols in terms of improving community engagement and Participatory
Development Communication strategies. This is a modest step in achieving sustainable
development that benefits all parties involved.
107
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115
APPENDIX
A. FGD/Interview Guide (English)
1. What is your main concern in terms of the mining proposal in Lobo, Batangas (e.g.,
social development issues, compensation for mine workers, environmental damage,
bureaucracy/government policies)? (elaborate on their message/thrust)
Why is this your main concern over others?
What led you to prioritize this particular concern?
Does this concern manifest in the documents released by your agency/company?
Are you able to emphasize this concern during your meetings with other
stakeholders?
2. Which primary stakeholder do you aim to communicate with? Why?
3. What are your primary goals regarding the issue of mining in Lobo?
Among your goals, which were you able to reach/fulfill, so far?
4. In your opinion, based on the statements/documents the other agencies involved
release/d, were they able to address your concerns? Why or why not?
Do you think there are any similarities in the topics you discussed during your
meetings with:
o all of the other stakeholders
o DENR
o MRL-Egerton
o Lobo or Batangas LGU
o NGOs
o the residents
In what way are your concerns different from or similar to the other stakeholders'
concerns?
5. Which stakeholder most often calls for meetings?
Which stakeholder sends the most participants during meetings?
In your opinion, do you have an active participation during meetings? Or are other
stakeholders more active?
6. Did your agency encounter difficulties in communicating with other stakeholders?
What are the difficulties? Which is your biggest difficulty?
116
B. FGD/Interview Guide (Filipino)
Ano yung priority sa issue ng mining sa Batangas (e.g., social development

issues, compensation for mine workers, environmental damage,
bureaucracy/government policies) -- elaborate on their message/thrust
o Bakit yun ang priority over others
o Paano kayo nakarating sa ganitong priority/main message
o Ito ba yung pinakanilalaman ng mga nirerelease na documents
o Ito ba yung pinakamessage niyo sa mga meeting w/ other agencies
Sino ang pinaka-target niyong kausapin
o Bakit sila at hindi yung iba
Ano ang pinakagusto niyong mangyari
o Sa ilang taon na nandiyan ang issue, alin ang mga natupad sa target/goal
niyo, alin ang hindi?
Sa tingin niyo ba, base sa mga pinapalabas na mga statement o dokumento ng
ibang agencies, naaaddress nila ang mga concern ninyo? [pls limit to text
materials]
o Masasabi niyo bang may pagkakapareho ang inyong usapan?
Sa lahat
Sa DENR
Sa MRL
Sa Lobo o Batangas LGU
o Bakit/bakit hindi naaddress?
o Sa paanong paraan magkapareho/magkaiba?
Aling agency ang pinakamadalas magpa-tawag ng meeting?
o Sino ang pinakamaraming participant sa mga meeting?
o Pakiramdam niyo po ba ay malaki ang nagiging partisipasyon ninyo sa
mga meeting?
May mga naging hadlang ba sa pakikipagusap ninyo sa ibang agencies?
o Ano ito?
o Ano ang pinakamalaking hadlang?
C. Data Analysis Matrix Template
Table 5. Template for Inventory of Published Documents for Determining Discourse Structure
117
D. Data Analysis Matrices

Matrix 5. Data Analysis Matrix (Discourse Genre)
GENRE
DOC
#
SH
DAR
PUBLISHER
TITLE
DATE
Envi
DAR
DAR
DAR
Lobo Water
District
Letter to DENR EMB
Lobo Resort
Owners
Association
Letter to DENR EMB

Usec. Jonas Leones
Lobo
3-Jun12
none
water, health & safety

concerns
damage to sources of
livelihood
none
none
envi damage
endemicity
none
Urgent Appeal to
Aquino
none
damage to sources of
livelihood
none
socio-economic rights
should be
community-centered
process
Brgy. Sawang
Brgy. Mabilog
na Bundok
Posisyon at
Paninindigan Hinggil sa
Nakaambang
Pagmimina ng Mindoro
Resources Limited at
Egerton Gold
Philippines sa Aming
Barangay at Bayan ng
Lobo
9-Jun15
biodiversity
none
9-Jun15
final decision lies

with government
agencies
biodiversity
should be
community-centered
process
source of life
agri-industry over
mining
economic state of
Lobo
DAR
BSU-Lobo
DAR
Citizens of Lobo
Petisyon para sa
Sangguniang Bayan
n.d.
Lobo SB Resolution
2015-26 Endorsing
Mining in Lobo
20-Apr15
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
Econ
insincerity in
addressing
community
LGU
Soc
tourism
3-Jun15
Letter to DENR Sec.

Paje on effects of
mining in Lobo
Pol
existing project
preferrable over
mining project
accountability
flooding
violation of rights
dislocation
constitutionality
socially acceptable
environmentally sound
agri-industry
none
SIGNIFICANT
BENEFITS
source of livelihood
employment
economically feasible
118
BENEFITS
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
10
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
11
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
12
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
13
LGU
Lobo
Sangguniang
Bayan
14
MRL
Egerton Gold
Philippines, Inc.
MRL
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
16
MRL
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
17
MRL
18
MRL
15
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Lobo SB Resolution
2015-53 Cancel
Endorsement
Minutes of the Public
Hearing on the
Proposed Total Mining
Ban Ordinance (2016)
Hearing on the
Hearing on the
Hearing on the
Hearing on the
Petition for
Reconsideration of
Resolution 2015-53
15-Jul15
conservation
policy compliance
socially inacceptable
none
4-Mar16
none
none
none
none
9-Mar16
none
none
none
none
9-Mar16
none
none
none
none
11-Mar16
none
none
none
none
14-Mar16
none
none
none
none
4-Aug15
responsible and
sustainable mining
development
none
none
none
Mindoro, through
its 100% held
Philippines
subsidiary, MRL
Gold Phils. Inc, has
the right to earn
none
economic
attractivesness
Press Release #1
29-Nov00
Press Release #2
24-Jun03
none
none
none
may earn
the priority will be to
establish the extent
and economic
potential
Press Release #3
19-Apr04
none
none
none
none
Press Release #4
8-Nov04
none
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
none
excellent potential
119
19
MRL
20
MRL
21
MRL
22
MRL
23
MRL
24
MRL
25
MRL
26
MRL
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Mindoro
Resources
Limited
Egerton Gold
Philippines, Inc.
Press Release #5
22-Nov04
none
Press Release #6
30-Aug07
none
Press Release #7
3-Dec10
none
Press Release #8
5-Jul-10
none
Press Release #9
23-Aug11
none
Press Release #10
20-Jul11
none
Press Release #11
8-Nov11
none
Environmental Impact
Survey
2015
envi sound/safe -addresses certain

environmental concerns
of communities in terms
of operation/processes
involved in the project as
being safe
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
as defined by
National Instrument
43-101
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
NI43-101
compliant mineral
resource
final decision lies
with government
agencies -- left
persuasion between
barangay officials;
acknowledges
protocols in terms of
approval from
barangay level;
acknowledges that it
has no part in
legislation
policy compliance compliance with
laws
none
none
none
none
none
may earn up to 75%

interest
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
significant benefits to
the people/development
- mining as a
development solution;
appeases almost all
concerns of community
regardless of genre
through "employment"
damage to sources
of livelihood -- doesn't
address current
sources of livelihood
that may be affected
by mining;
acknowledges that
only qualified
individuals will be
employed / preferred
IEC -- communities'
health concerns is only
due to ignorance, hence
addressed through IEC
(enlightenment)
willingness to negotiate
employment -presents several

employment
opportunities brought
about by mining
(TESDA training, etc)
120
Matrix 6. Data Analysis Matrix (Language)

DOC
#
1
LANGUAGE
SH
Language Used
DAR
"alarmed"
"respectfully prayed"
none
DAR
"ask"
"your kind heart"
use of "we" and "I"
not sure if sarcasm or not
slight informality
code-switch from English to Filipino in the end
"pristine"
"virgin forest"
expressing their current situation in terms of

economic stability (sources of income, employment
they provide)
DAR
"so-called 'Public Hearing'"

"sincerely hope"
use of all caps

"urgent"
English
DAR
English
several scientifically based arguments
use of numbers
historical accounts
DAR
Filipino
use of "kami"
"valiant in protecting its communities"

"destructive industries"
"ill effects"
"disregarded and put aside"
"trickery and deception"
"people's clamor"
"demand"
"appeal"
"devious"
"deceived"
"luring"
"save"
"unite"
"cancel"
"immediately deny"
"declare"
"stop all"
"strong opposition"
"claimed economic benefits"
scientific name of Phil Teak
listed down endemic and endangered species in Lobo
discussed taxonomic history of Lobo
"endowed with"
"iconic species"
"will employ surface contouring mining"
"very contrary to the findings on EIA team that Lobo is far
from VIP"
"in which they erroneously conclude that these projects
have insignificant impacts"
"nagkakaisang mamamayan"
"sapagkat"
"nakaambang wasakin ng ... ang natatanging likas yaman
to appeal
to express anger (all caps)
to demand
to inform
to call for fairness in procedures
to state expectations
none
none
none
121
DAR
Function of speech
to "remind" the DENR and other government
agencies of its existing plans and programs in the
Lobo area
use of "we"
3
Jargon Used
historical accounts on Philippine mining

experience
ng Lobo"
"hingi matatawaran ng anumang pangakong
kapakinabangan tulad ng panandaliang trabaho"
none
"found to be" -- parang in retrospect?
none
none
none
none
paghihirap at pagtutulungan natin
sana
tulungan ninyo kami upang maparating pa sa madaming
tao na meron malasakit sa ating bayan
magdasal at hilingin natin sa Panginoon
7
8
9
10
11
12
LGU
LGU
LGU
LGU
LGU
LGU
formal, legal language

none
none
none
none
none
13
LGU
none
14
MRL
formal, legal language

use of bold letters
reflects the "true" voice and sentiment of the
people of Lobo
have all duly approved resolutions endorsing
the project
continue to embody the "real" voices, intents,
intterests, and aspirations of the people of Lobo
"vital and invaluable benefits of the Project"
the "attacks" against the Project led by people
from outside Lobo
affirmed "strong" support for the project
Sangguniang Barangay = real voice of the
people of Lobo
"successful and peaceful public demonstration
of the people of Lobo on 27 July 2015 in
support of the project" -- does not acknowledge
the protest by Lobo people prior to this one
"credible" mining company with "strong"
experience in mining operations
MRL
16
MRL
17
MRL
"very pleased to announce"

pleased to advise
Mindoro management is extremely
encouraged
pleased to provide an update
excellent drill results
none
Function of speech
self-righteous tone, seems to imply that the
community needs the Project to prosper
to appeal
to prove that the Project can only do good to the
community and that endorsing the Project is the
Sangguniang Bayan's service to the people
to prove that the withdrawal of the endorsement
shows lack of judgment on the part of the
Sangguniang Bayan
"The Supreme Court itself has recognized the legality,

economic feasibility, environmental responsibility, and
social benefit of sustainable mining operations"
cites La Bugal B'Laan vs. Ramos (G.R. No. 127882) a
couple of times
cites EO No. 578 to support arguments
acquisition
mining jargon (poryphyry copper-gold-systems, highgrade gold-copper vein)
unusually high grades
to announce (presumably
none
none
none
none
122
15
"unanimously approved"
there is "no basis" for the "Honorable" Sangguniang
Bayan to also withdraw Resolution No. 2015-26
"economically feasible, environmentally sound, and
socially acceptable"
mostly "outsiders" have called for the reversal of the
endorsement
"unfounded allegations"
not shown any "tangible evidence" that the people of
Lobo are against the Project
Resolution No. 2015-26 is consistent with law and
jurisprudence
none
none
none
none
none
none
18
19
20
21
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
22
MRL
23
MRL
24
MRL
25
MRL
26
MRL
aggressively exploring our target-rich...projects

most enthusiastic
pleased
pleased to advise
pleased to advise
promising
pleased to announce
highly encouraged
exciting opportunity
we look forward
use of quotations by known scientists: "Matter
canot be created - French Chemist Anotinne
Lavoisier"
English
not too technical, despite using a few
technical terms
fallacy of the single cause (drying = weather)
fallacy of incomplete comparison (no previous
experience = other countries' experience serves
as proof)
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
amount of gold deposit
none
none
none
"presented"
"rest assured that the issue will be managed carefully"
"concern duly noted" (5)
"minimization"
"proactive"
"enhancement"
tends to indirectly answer concerns raised by

LGU or DAR
IEC to community
to reassure the concerned that their project is
environmentally friendly/safe
fallacy of retrospective determinism (no past

envi damage = will never have envi damage)
selective historical accounts: "time-tested
technologies" disregards historical experiences;
only acknowledges/cites positive history
123
Matrix 7. Data Analysis Matrix (Topic/s Emphasized)

DOC
#
TOPIC/S EMPHASIZED
SH
OTHER REMARKS
Envi
Pol
Soc
Econ
mining will generate tailings

harmful to health, land and
water bodies and will put the
community livelihood at risk
We are a tourist destination

Atis Capital
"TOURISM and not mining"
DAR
endemicity of Phil. Teak

mining will cause irreversible
damage to rivers, streams and
tributaries
none
Lobo Watershed is the

source of potable water of
the nearby community and is
situated adjacent to the
proposed mining nad
processing plant in Sitio
Batang, Brgy. Mabilog na
Bundok, which may be
damaged in time when mine
tailings are discharged
mining will destroy the
terrain and forest cover that
protect the surrounding
areas from flooding and
landslide, endangering the
lives of the community
people
DAR
none
none
none
DAR
protecting the environment
government's lack of
interest and sincerity to hear
the people's voices and
stance
DAR
Verde Island Passage "center of

the center" etc
biodiversity
without discussing the real

nature of the project
(addressing) DENR, EMB
and MGB\
for the betterment of the

majority
beyond the people's
knowledge
without prior and
substantial consultation with
the affected stakeholders
hazards and impacts to the
people's socio-economic
rights
bound to lose our very
source of life
without discussing the real
nature of the project
without substantial and
meaningful consultation
more harm than benefits to
the people and the entire
province
hazards and impacts to the

people's socio-economic
rights
mining industry is vital to

the country's economic
growth
save our farmlands and
agricultural industry
124
DAR
DAR
LGU
LGU
one of the key biodiversity area

and biodiversity hotspot
high concentration of Phil. Teak
high possibility of mine waste
contamination and siltation
proximity of project to coast of
Verde Island Passage and to the
Marine Protected Areas
very common scenario in most
of the mining sites that are with
closse proximity to marine
environment
The bottom line is biodiversity
conservation to ensure that
agroecotourism remains viable for
generations if not forever
national pride
Lobo is one of the less
progressive areas in the
province
Lobo Ecotourism Project
incorporates a development
plan that is culturally
appropriate and conscious of
the impact of visitors to the
environment and the rural
economy
hindi kailanman nagkaroon ng

responsableng pagmimina sa
ating bansa
highly susceptible to
flooding as classified by
DENR (2012)
land resources...crops
agriculture and fishery have
been the two major
sustainable livelihood for
decades
vast agricultural and marine
resources
gainful employment in the
farmlands ans small-scale
food processing enterprises
on the track of a prime
Ecotourism Industry
strong momentum towards
ecotourism industry
prime agrotourism platform
humihingi ng katarungan
ang pagpapahintulot ng
ating pamahalaan sa
malawakan at dayuhang
pagmimina sa bansa ay
paglabag sa ating
pambansang patrimonya
Executive Order 578
pagsasawalang-bahala at
pagtalikod
dislokasyon ng tirahan at
kabuhayan ng libu-libong
magsasaka
ang industriya ang mina ay

may mahalagang papel
pagkawasak ng kanilang
lupain at karagatan,
pagkawala ng lupang tirahan
at hanapbuhay at
malawakang paglabag sa
karapatang panto
environmentally sound
none
socially acceptable
significant benefits to the
host and adjoining
communities
demonstrated to be
economically feasible
sustained development
employment opportunities
qualified constituents
to ensure the protection,

conservation and sustainable use
of biological diversity
based on the Local

Government Code of 1991,
one of the powers of the SB
is to "protect the envi etc"
EO No. 578
petition was given due
consideration
although the date of filing is
seemingly delayed
found to be lacking in social

acceptability
none
"Egerton and MGI made a

comprehensive
presentation..."
"adequately discussed by ...
before the Sanggunian"
125
10
11
12
LGU
LGU
LGU
LGU
LGU
14
MRL
none
none
none
importance and the significance

of the ordinance in relation to the
Eco-tourism and economic
development
The project "takes into account
and protects the biodiversity of
Lobo and the Verde Island
Passage"
none
binago ang zoning
ordinance kung saan inalis
lahat ng mine zones sa Lobo
"Hindi kaya ginagawa iyan
dahil mageeleksyon?",
Amparo/ "Wala po na pinipili
na panahon ang paggawa
ng tama at ng mabuti"
quoted Martin Luther King
"the time is always right to
do what is right"
gagawin naming priority
legal ang kanilang [MRL]
pananatili
dumadaan sa proseso
"Petitioner has consistently
and steadfastly complied
with the requirements of the
"magdasal po tayo"
"unanimously were all in
favor"
none
prayer
numerous petitions from
(various Lobo groups)
none
"unanimously were all in

favor"
"unaninimously were all in

favor"
"bakit ngayon lang?"

Amparo, "Marami tayong
pinagdaanan?"
none
none
unanimously were all in

favor
makakaasa ba ang mga

tao
unanimously were all in
favor
"Resolution No. 2015-26 is
'socially acceptable' and
reflects the true voice and
sentiment of the Honorable
none
"Long term, high profit
mining translates into higher
revenues... and improved
chances of human resource
126
13
none
Fr. Daks asked about

"process": Amparo, "threereading principle as is the
practice in the local
sanggunian."
if vetoed by Mayor, needs a
2/3 vote from the council
no assurance
dependent on strengths of
arguments
Dept of Tourism maintained
that Lobo is a Tourism
Development Area, as
identified in the National
Tourism Develiopment Plan
Executive Order 79, mining
is not permitted in such
areas
Zoning Ordinance of Lobo
was amended upon approval
in Regional Sanggu
no identified mine zones
January 2016, resolution
denying the Motion for
Reconsideration
"Petitioner is committed to
responsible and sustainable
mining and mineral processing. It
has an excellent track record for
sustainable mining development."
"an advanced approach to
environmental sustainability that
is uniquely designed to mitigate
any risks to the local
environment, particularly the
Verde Island Passage."
law insofar as environmental

protection is concerned."
Sangguniang Bayan's
constituents - the people of
Lobo."
the project "will translate to
sustained development in,
and significant benefit to, the
host and adjoining
communities"
15
16
MRL
MRL
none
none
none
none
"Petitioner has a sound

track record of Community
Development Programs... It
will continue to uphold that
commitment through its
Social Development
Management Program
(SDMP)."
none
none
17
MRL
none
none
none
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
MRL
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
"committed to fulfilling the terms of the Environmental Work

Program, Environmental Protection and Environmental Program,
and the Annual Environmental Protection and Enhancement
Program. Petitioner will always maintain a sustainable
environmental condition around the area, including the Verde
Island Passage, at every stage of the operation."
and countryside
development by creating
self-reliant communities
away from urban centers"
(The SC of the Philippines in
La Bugal B'Laan vs. Ramos,
December 1, 2004, G.R. No.
127882).
the project "will generate
employment opportunities to
the people of Lobo."
none
none
although the date of filing is
seemingly delayed
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
none
127
minimizes impact through proactive handling of effluents,

rehabilitation of disturbed sites,
reforestation projects
26
MRL
when asked by Barangay

Council about effect to
environment: "2 brgy council
members who were part of the
MRL Comreal Team talked to
their fellow councilmen on A
ONE-TO-ONE basis to allow MRL
to operate in Mabilog. After the
one-on-one meetings, the council
members gave their go signal for
the community to proceed with
the pad preparation"
when asked by Municipal
Council about environment: "MRL
has been doing exploration works
in the area for the part three
years and no environmental
destruction has happen in to our
work areas"
when asked by Brgy

Nagtaluntong officials about
drilling damage to the
underground: "[The project]
should be approved by all
levels before starting the
project especially the
landowners and on barangay
level"
"Egerton will comply with
all laws."
"Egerton not part of
legislative processes."
when asked by BSU Lobo

about worker safety;
"provided seedlings of
Philippines Teak"
"most of the employees are

locals"
"In case of conflict with

community mutually
beneficial and fair
agreements will be reached"
when asked by MRL

employees (locals) about
water contamination that can
affect their livelihood, animal
raising and agriculture:
"explained to them that the
drying of the creek is not
caused by the drilling
operation. It's a natural
occurrence during summer" -> possibly a typo error
meant for previous
question???
People section is shown in

Environmental Aspect #4
BUT adresses employment
concerns: "Increase in
employment and livelihood
opportunies, increase in
economic activities" -->
potential impact; referred to
as enhancements
when asked about

employment: "Definitely, the
company will employ
workers from here but look
for the qualified ones";
"Preference will be given to
qualified and skilled
residents of the host
communities"
when asked about cyanide:

"CN- naturally presents in
many substances or food
that we eat, e.g. 'Cassava'
cake, a favorite food among
Batanguenos"
Other potential impacts of

Project in terms of
Environmental Aspect #4:
- perception of health effects
-- addressed through IEC
- benefits to the communities
-- enhancement
- benefits from proponent's
SDP -- enhancement
- employment -enhancement
- livelihood -- enhancement
- overall economic benefits
to municipality, region,
Province of Batangas -enhancement
employee
placement/livelihood training
"looking for trainings such

as welding and other TESDA
accredited training to train
interested residents"
"multiplier effect ... where
business can be put up t ot
he consequences of mining"
when asked about financial
consideration allotted to the
LGU: "2% excise tax"
128
when asked by Mabilog officials

about drying of creek due to
drilling: "drying of the creek is a
natural occurrence due to
weather"
when asked about envi damage
due to open-pit: "At certain
portion, yes, but it's part of the
development. What shall we do
with the minerals that we have?
We have so many hungry mouths
to feed in our country. This can
also be rehabilitated to the extent
that it might be better than where
we started."
when asked about previous
experience in case Lobo will be a
"sample area": "there are several
experiences of other companies
in the Philippines and abroad
"(Municipal Mayor of Lobo)

manifested his readiness to
support us if there ares ome
precarious issues that may
crop up in our meetings,
dialogues and discussions
with parties of interest to our
exploration activies"
using similar technology; best

international practices and
expertise will be utilized"
"gold mining and processing are
time-tested technologies"
when asked about percentage
of disadvantage that may be
contributed by the Project: "The
Project expects more positive
impacts in terms of economic
aspects, while in terms of
environmental impacts, least
negative impacts or even
improvement of the existing
environmental conditions is aimed
of."
when asked by Governor
regarding bad experiences in
mining in the PH: "project is
actually much smaller in scale;
small-scale minings are actually
more problematical" ---> nothing
on biodiversity
mangrove protection - mangrove
will not be disturbed.
Enhancement plans will be
developed.
enhancement of marine
ecology - a programme to be
developed with stakeholders, civil
societies and academe
129
Matrix 8. Data Analysis Matrix (Interview Memos)

Interview
Questions
Main concern
DAR (FGD)
water
pollution as it connects to
livelihood
pollution as it connects to
health
kanila ang ginto, amin ang
guho
patay ang damo patay ang tao
"water is more precious than
gold"
LGU
balance between economic
benefit and environmental
impact
in endorsement = economic
viability
in cancellation = social
inacceptability of 300has
DENR-MGB
DENR-EMB
economic profit from mining

(excise tax)
environmental impact of
project
social responsibility (RA 7942,

host community will be receive
through livelihood projects etc
1.5% of operating costs)
social benefits (development)
MRL (none)
*Assumed the community's

main concern is
livelihood/employment
environmental protection
*According to MGB, income is
the main concern of the SB
to safeguard the environment

Why is this the
main concern
water is a major aspect in

their lives (water is life, Ate
Yelli)
their livelihood is dependent
on nature (agri & tourism)
nature is dependent on water
500m away from Lobo River

(too close)
responsible mining for the

benefit of the community
Bottom line:
environmental
preservation in the project2
technically, far from envi areas
agri > unsustainable /

irresponsible mining
check-and-balance
"DENR lang kami" --> we stick
to our jurisdiction, which is the
compliance of MRL to our
requirements. This was stated
despite the fact that the final
decision lies with them.
attributes changes in wildlife

to effects to mining
exploration
cites past experiences with
EGPI's exploration, as well as
other mining companies
infamous for environmental
damage (Marcopper)
Does it manifest
in the
documents
Primary
stakeholder they
communicate
with
DAR uses documents

(petitions/letters to govt
officials) and placards
DENR
no docs released
MRL
DAR
MRL
MRL
LGU
130
Why them
Primary goals
Do other
agencies
address your
concerns in their
documents?
Were there any

similarities in
topics during
meetings
How do they
differ
Which
stakeholder
most often calls
for meetings
authority to grant permit -->

"mas may power patigilin ang
mina"
for mining company to leave
to pass the Total Mining Ban
ordinance
to revise the Philippine Mining
Act
DENR (sometimes), but
focused on the economic
benefits
"dole-out"
DENR does not acknowledge
or say anything about their
concerns about
water/environmental effects of
mining; icocontain daw mine
waste
Higher government consists of
some who are on "their side"
so they want to approach
them to amend the RA
MRL, hindi daw sila gagamit
ng lason; "muriatic ang
ginagamit nila pampalambot"
acknowledges mining is
necessary
EIA
EIA review committee
MRL is more on complying

with the requirements set by
DENR
MRL addresses the

communities' concerns, not
DENR
MRL's plant nursery for rehab

of explored areas
DENR merely gathers the

information, but what do they
do with the information
MRL answers the

communities' questions
regarding the project
no answer
common concerns as DAR
(VIP)
ecologically "sensitive" islands

should not be mined
conspiratorializes political
process (Senate is pro so
won't accommodate their
concerns)
MRL
SB conducts their own LGU
hearings apart from DENR
public hearing
DENR (accdg to Arida)

LGU/SB (accdg to MGB),
MGB is invited
no residents present (apart

from public hearing)
131
DAR
DAR conducts their own
"hearings", "hindi kasali ang
DENR"
"Hindi kami sinali"
SB did not call community
during the 3rd reading for
Total Mining Ban (solely for
SB members)
Participation
Difficulties
SB asks MRL/Egerton
questions about the project
MRL gives no effort to contact

them, only the land-owner;
"May abogado sila di mo
makakausap", approached the
LWD re: water; "sila mismo
[Egerton] ginagamit nila yung
mga landowner para mapush
kami na magstop sa
pakikipaglaban.";
transparency
initial endorsement was
based on the info that only
26has will be mined
MRL = 3+
SB = complete
MGB = 3 or director
Yes in terms of addressing
technicalities of permit
approval (completion of
requirements, esp for rehab
plan)
establishing mitigating
measures for siltation and
surface run-off
what other SH refer to as

SDP: "Liligawan talaga nila
yung community.
Magpapagawa kayo ng
basketball court.
Magpapagawa ..."
DENR, blocks their attempts,
but conducts house-to-house
interviews
132
LGU (SB), differing opinions

because mostly pro-mining,
including counselors; "Nagalit
'tong SB bakit daw kami doon
pumunta [sa DENR] eh
nandito naman ang problema.
Nandito yung mga
communication eh dun kami
pumunta"; "pinagtatawanan
lang kami sa labas. Nabukang
na" (total mining ban);
"Pinatapos lang yung election
pala. Kinuhanan lang ako ng
loob ng mga taong 'to."; "Nung
may reklamo, bat daw kami
ingay ng ingay. Nung
pumunta kami sa DENR, bat
daw kami doon nag iingay";

"yung may reservations sila
tapos pagharap nila sa inyo
kumikinang sila"
Government -- understanding
of pol: "Takot magbanggaan
yung mining at yung
ordinansa. Meron naman
tayong autonomous guide ang
municipality."
Others
*aided by Gina Lopez

opts for preventive over
reactive --> "Bakit kailangan
nating malaman pa yung
cause and deffect kung
ngayon pa lang puwede na
nating agapan"
heavy in emotion and rhetoric
-- "Sabi ko ang pinaglalaban
ko, hindi yung dugo ko, yung
dugo natin"
initially acted as pseudolawyers between Egerton

and community since 26has
was deemed okay
Two kinds of oppositors:

1. cannot be persuaded / not
willing to negotiate
2. uninformed, and presumed
to approve once informed /
willing to negotiate
Relies on information from
MRL
Gathers information from

the communities through
perception survey, public
scoping, FGD
Cannot be considered
communication, merely
gathering of information,
since there is no feedback
system
long-term view
long-term view
cites past experiences = "sa
dami po ng kaso dito sa
Pilipinas"; "hindi naman lahat
[ng waste] nawawala"; "di
naman all the time yung
technical nila ay nandiyan
mismo" --> only the negative
experiences of infamous
mining firms (Marcopper,
Zambales)
cites personal experiences,
anecdotes = one employee
had a third degree burn after
dipping foot in water
133
pro in the areas =

"brainwashed"; akala nila
ituturo yung pagtatrabaho eh;
"puwedeng pagkakitaan ng
mga tao kaya yung sabi nila
hindi mo puwedeng bastang
tutulan. Kailangan ng
alternatibo."
"sensitive ang anti-mining"
ininterview ng DENR, via
phone, followed-up about
ECC, no response
DENR = ipaparating daw nila
ang aming hinanaing;
"pending status"; matagal
nagkusa na po kami
walang resulta yung interview
ng DENR kaya nagalit mga
tao
attributes changes in wildlife
and plantations to exploration
stage --> "yan ang epekto [ng
mining]"
compare income of gold to
income of agriculture,
sustainability
lahat pinapangako ng MRL -employment (BUT ghost
employees);
134
135
Table 6. Word Count
Envi
195
Pol
152
social
development
90
Economic
(income of locals/
government)
132
environment/
environmental
30
DENR
44
people
29
development
12
biodiversity
16
hearing
34
communities/affec
ted communities
16
tourism/tourist
anti-mining
15
(endorsement/appr
oval from the)
Sangguniang
Bayan
12
benefit/s
15
foreign investment
11
cyanide
13
declare
socially
acceptable
livelihood/
hanapbuhay
10
welfare
economic
10
health
fishing/fishery
perwisyo
income
lives
social
social
development
impact (envi)
11
marine life/ecosystem
10
protection
conservation
mining
Sangguniang
Bayan
outsiders/opponent
s
Environmental
Compliance
Certificate
EMB
technical
conference
exploration
report/activity
agriculture/agricult
ural
employment
(mining)
6
5
large-scale (foreign)
mining
threat
policy/policies
residential
tubig
legality
food requirements
toxic waste
United Nations
consultation
employment/emplo
yed (resorts)
ecology/ecological
multi-partite
monitoring team
vulnerability
economic
growth/profit
wildlife/hayop
endorsement from
the barangays
RA 7942
excise tax
dirty mining
compliant
potential
contaminated
Executive Order
social
responsibility
social equity
ecotourism
destroyed/sira
Biodiversity Impact
Assessment
safety
farmlands
destruction/destructive/
guho
DOST
protection of the
people (voice,
sentiments,
demands)
resorts business
flooding/flood-prone
rights
socio-economic
benefits
mitigating measures
social justice
earn
preservation
prospect
endemic
harvest
poison/lason
national economy
environmental
destruction
livestock
devastation
poultry
Lobo Ecotourism
Project
declaration of
mining project
feasibility
audit of metallics
orientationconsultation
3-year work
program
environmental
protection
enhancement
program
social development
program
industry
revenues (for
municipality,
resorts)
ecotourism
industry
4
3
3
136
rehabilitation
proof of technical
competence
marine resources
environmental
degradation
exploration permit
local industries
vegetation
Verde Island Passage
proper measures
systematic operations
responsible mining
watershed
wealth
mining
accreditation
procedures
mining law
agreement
Local Government
Code
public hearing
smalle-scale food
procesing
enterprises
agrotourism
agroecotourism
produce
source of life
projected
employment
(deceived)
national economy
tax
source of life
(farming)
interest
wealth
market
1
1
1
1
1
1

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Baladad &amp; Quitalig 2016 Thesis

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GOLD-PLATED PROGRESS:

EXPLORING STAKEHOLDER DISCOURSES

ANNE KATHLYN A. BALADAD

COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATION

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

ANNE KATHLYN A. BALADAD

UNIVERSITY PERMISSION PAGE

ANNE KATHLYN A. BALADAD

has been approved for

Professor Ma. Rosel San Pascual, MA

Professor Elena Pernia, PhD

Anne Kathlyn A. Baladad

47 Kasayahan Street, Kawilihan Village,

Pasig City Science High School, NCR

St. Paul College of Pasig, NCR

UP Interschool Business Association

Volunteer Researcher, Kalikasan Peoples Network

AY 2012-2013, 2nd Semester, College Scholar,

Queencee Colleen L. Quitalig

72 Roxas St., District II, Cauayan City, Isabela

Cauayan City National High School

Cauayan South Central School

UP Communication Research Society

AY 2012-2013, 1st & 2nd Semesters, College Scholar,

University Permission Page

Approval Sheet Page

Biographical Data Page

A. The Philippine Mining Act of 1995

B. Acquiring a Mineral Processing Permit in the Philippines

C. Ecological and Social Impacts of Large-Scale Mining

D. MRL-EGPI in Lobo, Batangas

F. Research Problem Statement

I. Significance of the Study

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Stakeholder Identification and Their Interests

B. Discourse Surrounding Stakeholder Negotiations

C. Public Participation and Participatory Development Communication

III. STUDY FRAMEWORK

IV. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

A. Research Design and Methods

B. Concepts and Indicators

D. Units of Analysis and Sampling

E. Data Gathering and Budget

G. Scope and Limitations

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

B. Dominant Concerns of Each Stakeholder

C. Language, Topic/s Emphasized, and Patterns of Interaction

Concepts from Van Dijks CDA (2005)

Concepts, Indicators and Research Methods for Objective 1

Concepts, Indicators and Research Methods for Objective 2

Inventory of Published Documents for Determining Discourse

Template for Inventory of Published Documents for Determining

Themes in Economic Discourse

Themes in Social Discourse

Themes in Political Discourse

Themes in Environmental Discourse

Data Analysis Matrix (Discourse Genre)

Data Analysis Matrix (Language)

Data Analysis Matrix (Topic/s Emphasized)

Data Analysis Matrix (Interview Memos)

Requirements and Procedure for MPP Acquisition

Map of Lobo, Batangas

Project Site of Proposed Lobo Mine

The Interactions and Convergence of Stakeholder Discourses

Flow and Purposes of Communication Across Stakeholders

Overlaps According to Economic Discourse

Overlaps According to Social Discourse

Baladad & Quitalig 2016 Thesis

Baladad & Quitalig 2016 Thesis