Filminera and PhilGold Donate Over Php 6 Million to Earthquake Victims

By: Philippine Resources January 21, 2021

MGP’s Administration Manager Jean Gonzales and Community Relations Superintendent Rey Carlo Belgica turn-over of check to Mayor Felipe Cabatana and Vice Mayor Thelma Ang and Sangguniang Bayan Members of the Municipality of Cataingan.

Filminera Resources Corporation (Filminera) and Phil Gold Processing & Refining Corp. (PGPRC) turned over a total of Php 6 million in earthquake relief financial assistance as well as 100 sacks of rice and 50 folding beds to officers of the local government of the Municipality of Cataingan. The Php 5 Million donation was received by Mayor Felipe Cabatana in the presence of Vice-Mayor Thelma Ang and members of the Sangguniang Bayan.

The total combined earthquake relief from Filminera and PGPRC to the Municipality of Cataingan is equivalent to Php 6,283,100. This includes Php 1 Million to assist Cataingan Hospital repair and supplies needed to assist the communities and households that were severely affected by the earthquake.

Cataingan is the town hardest-hit by the 6.6 earthquake last August 18, 2020 which shook the province of Masbate. The earthquake had an epicenter located 7 kilometers off Cataingan with a depth of 21 kilometers. Cataingan is 150 kilometers away from the Filminera mine site in Aroroy.

The trucks containing the 100 sacks of rice and 50 folding beds with MGP’s Administration Manager Jean Gonzales and Community Relations Superintendent Rey Carlo Belgica.

A team from Filminera and PGPRC, together with the Municipal Engineer and the Municipal Administrator, also joined Mayor Cabatana in the ocular inspection of damaged public structures in the municipality.

In a separate event last August, an inspection was conducted at the mine site in Aroroy, Masbate by a team of experts from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during the weekend. At the exit conference attended by the community stakeholders, the local government units, and Filminera and PGPRC representatives, MGB and DENR reported that their inspection showed there were neither damages nor injuries within the mine site.

The management of Filminera and PGPRC temporarily stopped mining August 21 to give way to the inspection team and resumed normal operations August 27.

Filminera President Cris Acosta said that the results of the inspection confirmed the initial result sent to the MGB regional office right after the August 18 earthquake that there was no damage to the structures and equipment at the mine site. Filminera’s initial inspection was conducted by in-house technical experts and third-party consultant GHD, which is a reputable international technical consultant.

GHD has been an advisor of the Masbate Gold Project since 2007 and continues to be a part of the mine’s expansion to this date. GHD was initially engaged to carry out the detailed design of the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF). They continue to provide detailed design and construction supervision services of the TSF development. They also provide geotechnical assessments, deposition modelling, embankment design and analysis, mine site water balance modelling and design of the water treatment plant.


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