No boundaries to ‘doing good’ for a gold project
There are no boundaries to “doing good” to a company which has already acquired the passion to meet the socio-economic needs of the host communities where it has operations.
This is the happy case for two mining companies under the umbrella of the Masbate Gold Project (MGP). The MGP is composed of two firms – Filminera Resources Corp. and the Phil Gold Processing & Refining Corp.
Filminera is the holder of the Environmental Compliance Certificate, the mining tenements, surface rights and the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA). Phil Gold is the holder of a mineral processing permit and owns and operates the processing plant.
‘Doing well’ and ‘doing good’
Both firms, which are “doing well” have expanded their “doing good” programs from one province where they operate to include the entire region. “Doing well,” from the parlance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) advocates is making a reasonable profit and taking growth strides. “Doing good” is paying back to the host communities where the firms get their resources including their main manpower requirements through CSR and social development programs.
Both firms are operating in Masbate province, particularly in Aroroy town. And its CSR projects, as well as its social development programs, have been concentrated in Masbate – which is part of the Bicol Peninsula.
They implement a yearly CSR program called “Project iSmile,” aimed at improving the quality of life of the disabled, with congenital or acquired physical defects. Doctors from Interplast Medical – a not-for-profit organization based in Australia – partnered with the MGP firms to conduct free surgery, with assistance from local medical and paramedical professionals will assist them.
CSR has no boundaries
The most recent CSR project of the two firms is the supply and installation of tents which will serve as classrooms to school children in their evacuation centers. These children have been displaced by the devastation caused by the eruption of Mayon Volcano in Albay. This signals the two MGP firms’ CSR foray beyond Masbate. “Doing good,” indeed, should have no boundaries. Filminera and Phil Gold were joined by other mining firms which shelled out an initial amount of P 7.7M worth of tents, emergency relief, temporary shelter and medical supplies. A large portion of the aid came from from the Masbate Gold Project (MGP) firms.
Some 25 large tents were handed to the Department of Education (DepEd) to be used as temporary classrooms for the displaced students. The tents can shelter up to 40 people.
Social dev’t
The MGP firms pursue a number of SDMP projects, meant to contribute to the economic development of Aroroy. The development programs mainly contributed to the upgrading of Aroroy from a fourth class town to first class.
The objective of Filminera’s and Phil Gold’s SDMP is to bring about sustained improvement in the living standards of the communities where it operates by creating alternative sources of livelihood that generate extra income for the people and promote a strong sense of self-reliance among the Masbatenos.
In the first phase of the SDMP implementation from 2009 to 2014, Filminera and PGPRC introduced an Integrated Farming and Livelihood System (IFLS) that benefited around 900 recipients. The projects included carabao dispersal, provision of farm inputs, vegetable production, support to fisherfolks and establishment of cottage industries such as sewing and soap-making.
To date, Filminera and PGPRC have created over 1,600 jobs, 80 percent of which are filled by residents of Masbate. The company also embarked on a massive mangrove reforestation project in eight coastal barangays of Aroroy with the help of fisherfolks.
Development in many dimensions
The mining firm also helped construct roads, installed electrical and potable water supply systems, as well as built and refurbished multi-purpose buildings, school houses, covered recreation and sports centers that also serve as evacuation centers, health centers and chapels.
Through its health program, the company had sponsored feeding programs for hundreds of malnourished children.
Since the start of its operations, the MGP firms annually allot a minimum of 1.5 percent of their operating costs for the development of the host and neighboring communities to promote the general welfare of their residents. Through SDMP, MGP spent about P260 million from 2009 to 2015, with P79.2 million or 30.5 percent allotted for education.
Since 2009, the MGP has granted scholarships to 926 high school students and 894 college students from its eight host and three neighboring barangays. Scholarship grants cover tuition, books, school supplies, and transportation allowances. It had also built and repaired classrooms and school facilities such as libraries, toilets, stages and fences.
Truly, there are no boundaries to doing good for our people.