SMI contributes P1.8B to economy
SAGITTARIUS Mines Inc. held its annual report on its sustainability project in Tampakan which revealed a total of P1.8 billion contribution to the Philippine economy last year.
Entitled the “2012 Tampakan Copper-Gold Project Sustainability Report,” the report is the company’s sixth for the Tampakan Project as part of its annual publication of their sustainable development performance which provides an overview on how the company worked to apply sustainability standard for the progress of the Tampakan Project.
Among their major achievement in sustainable development projects in 2012 is the generation of jobs for more than 370 employees and 940 contractors.
SMI said it was also able to deliver community health services to more than 12,000 people and had provided financial support for tuition, allowances and school supplies for more than 26,000 students and had suppoerted-livelihood opportunities for more than 6,000 households.
SMI had also supported the reforestation of more than 340 hectares in part- nership with community groups.
Moreover, Lolita Morales a former anti-mining opration and a lay-leader of an Evangelical Christian group in Koronadal shared her experiences that made her an advocate of responsible mining.
Morales said that her experience as one of the chosen individual who got chance of visiting mining areas in foreign countries where responsible mining is practiced.
She explained that there’s a need to be educated on the process in mining and how it will be beneficial to the whole society.
On the other hand, a former scholar and now a teacher, Ellen Ambat shared her stories about her as an educator, who was able to teach her own parents. The scholarship program by SMI gave her the opportunity not only to educated herself but to also give knowledge to the adult members of their commu- nity in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.
SMI External Communications and Media Relations Manager John Arnaldo said that their projects cover four provinces, namely Daval del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Saranggani, and South Cotabato, 4 municipalities, 10 tribal groups and 9 barangays.
He said that out of 27 covered by their project only 26 are fully supported to them and only South Cotabato opposed because of the environmental code which inhibited SMI from getting the province’s approval.
SMI said it focused on achieving the necessary environmental, community and government approvals required for their project to proceed last year.
For this year, SMI will be focusing on advancing the Tampakan Project in a social and environmentally responsible manner.
Arnalado said that from 2007 up to present, the company had alloted $370 million to cover the explorarion, developments, and consultation. He said that they are expecting that the operation will start on 2019.