Bluebird Merchant Ventures Ltd. announced a fully funded 5,666m drill programme at the Lobo prospect of the Batangas Gold Project in the Philippines. The 34-hole three phase programme is aimed at further delineating the Project's identified high-grade targets, upgrading the current mining inventory, and providing data to develop an underground mine plan. Lobo is a high-grade gold mining opportunity within the Batangas project area being developed in tandem with a local highly experienced JV partner in the Philippines.

The three-phase drill programme will be initially focused on the South West Breccia target, which has not been tested at depth or along known extensions; this is just one of nine targets in the system, which has a current 15km strike. SWB has only been drilled to 80-100m but produced the majority of the initial Probable JORC Compliant Ore Reserves of 171,000 tons at 6.6 g/t for 36,000 oz Au excluding silver credits that can be mined in the first 18 months of any operation - Indicated Resource of 82,000 oz Au. Results at SWB extensions included: 6.7m at 11.6 g/t Au from 9.3m.

o 18m at 6.85 g/t Au from 31 m down hole. 6m at 7.16 g/t Au from 43 m including 3m at 11.5 g/t Au. SWB is likely to be the first area to be mined by the JV - drill data will be used for a mine plan and included in the Definitive Feasibility Study ('DFS').

Lobo licence area is highly prospective with results across the nine identified targets including: 2.1m @14.4g/t Au and 3m at 12.1g/t at West Drift, which already has an Indicated and Inferred resource of 350,000t at 3 g/t Au. 8.35m at 18.3 g/t Au and 6.0m at 31.2 g/t Au located immediately west of the SWB Extension. 19m surface channel sample with intersections of 19m grading 9.8 g/t Au at Ulupong.

Limestone Target trenching yielded 3.5m at 25.9 g/t Au including 1.5m at 56.8 g/t Au. To put this into context, it is open at depth and there are nine other identified high-grade gold zones. "The fully funded three-phase drill programme will test the most prospective and upper parts (below the current identified resource) first and then, if the results are as expected, progressively test deeper extensions and less well-known areas downdip of SWB.

There is evidence that mineralisation grade may increase at depth and the aim is to dramatically expand the resource inventory and develop a mine plan for the submission of a DFS and final permitting. Details Three-Phase Drill Programme at Lobo The Lobo licence area covers 1,164-hectare. The main target is the SWB deposit where 38 holes identified five sub-parallel vein systems developed on northeast trending structures, spaced 500-1,000m apart and covering an area of approximately 3km by 1.5km.

For example, diamond drilling and trenching previously tested the northern extent and at depth below the previous SWB resource. Eight drill holes for 530m were completed and results included 6.7m at11.3m and 18m at 6. 85 g/t Au from 31m, and down hole 6m at 7.16g/t Au from 43m including 3m at 11. 5 g/t Au.

15 diamond drill holes at West Drift totaling 3,111m identified generally increasing gold grades with depth. With the appointment of drilling contractors being finalised, the planned drilling campaign is expected to be completed.