QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya: More than P177.26 million was paid to 680 individuals who had occupied a mining area awarded to a London-based mining firm in Runruno village here as compensation for their property and for them to relocate to a safer place outside the mining area.

James Carmichael, FCF Minerals Corp. country manager, said there were 477 occupants in the sub-village of Bit-ang and 203 more in the sub-village of Balcony, both areas located within the financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) between the national government and FCF.