Nickel Asia companies are environmental champions for 2020, wins PMIEA trophy
THE awarding of the prestigious Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award (PMIEA) to two mining companies under the umbrella of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), is regarded as doubly special as it was conferred during the pandemic year.
Cagdianao Mining Corp. (CMC), based in Valencia, in Dinagat Islands, and Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. (RTNMC), based in Bataraza in Palawan, are this year’s proud PMIEA honorees presented with the “Presidential trophy” for outstanding initiatives in the pursuit of excellence in environmental management. CMC and RTNMC are subsidiaries of NAC, the country’s largest nickel supplier.
According to the Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB), an agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the award is given to operating mines that have shown exemplary performance in the area of environmental enhancement and protection; safety and health; social development; and corporate social responsibility.
This is a back-to-back win for the Dinagatbased mining company which also collected the Presidential Award last year.
Cagdinao Mining’s commitment is to the tune of P55.5 Million pesos worth of Annual Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program (AEPEP) and P47.3 Million pesos for the development of CMC’S host and neighboring communities through the company’s Social Development Management Programs (SDMP) for 2020 alone.
“The improved living conditions in the mining areas are proof of our commitment to the communities. One outstanding CMC project for example is the 19.2-kilometer farm-to-market road worth P12 Million pesos, connecting 5 barangays from 2 municipalities to the main provincial road, effectively providing the residents access to basic services like the hospital, and, most importantly, efficient access to trade and commerce,” says
Engr. Aloysius C. Diaz, NAC VP for Operations.
Rio Tuba Nickel, which has won this most-coveted “Presidential Award” for four times – 2002, 2015, 2018, and 2020 – never stopped operations and continuously implemented essential programs on environment protection, community development, and safety and health, despite the pandemic and expended a whopping P66.5 Million pesos for AEPEP and P36.2 Million pesos for SDMP in 2020.
According to Environmental Planner, Janice M. Tupas, Manager of the Mines Environmental Protection and Enhancement Dept. (MEPED) of RTN, the PMIEA scoring is 50% environmental management; 20% safety and health; 20% implementation of SDMP; and 10% for information and education campaign or IEC.