At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines – that brought the nation’s economy to a virtual standstill and left thousands confined to hospitals, stricken with the deadly virus – communities in Mindanao have benefitted from an unexpected partner that immediately and actively responded to the government’s call to unity: and that is the country’s mining industry, which continues to support countrywide development.As of this writing, the industry has realigned some Php247 million of its collective Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) funds to provide relief for thousands of Filipinos in and around mining communities and close to 70,000 frontliners across the country.Immediate responsePrior to the realignment of SDMP to support relief operations, TVIRD’s Agata Mining Ventures Inc. already dispatched various Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from Manila as part of its immediate response to the needs of medical frontliners in the Mindanao region. TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) has facilities in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte; Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur; and the adjacent municipalities of Tubay, Jabonga and Santiago in Agusan del Norte Province where its Agata Nickel Project is located.To date, the TVIRD Group of Companies has shored-up critical PPEs: N95 face masks, face shields and surgical and examinations gloves to support COVID-19 frontliners, including LGUs, volunteers, medical workers, police and civilian volunteers as well as checkpoint personnel. It likewise sourced majority of its fresh vegetable from farmers and other goods from local establishments to provide relief to more than 10,000 families in its respective areas. The group’s joint relief efforts aim to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has reached some 46 barangays consisting of its primary and secondary communities.Supporting local livelihoodWhile an estimated one million jobs have been “lost” as a result of the nationwide community quarantine, the challenges of a lockdown are even more pronounced in the hinterlands where a single day of lost livelihood can make or break agricultural and fishing communities who rely on their daily access to the market place. This is in addition to the challenge of putting food on their own tables for their families everyday.Agata sought to bridge this need by sourcing organic vegetables from its TESDA-certified Mabakas Farm School and its graduates under the program. Together with its beneficiary farmers, locally-sourced ampalaya (bitter gourd), kalabasa (squash), okra, sitaw (string beans) and eggplants were included in relief packs – which were distributed to 2,647 families in its three host municipalities.Recipients also included the company’s employees in the mine site and the indigenous Mamanwas who are themselves farmers who would have otherwise faced the risk of spoilage of their produce due to ECQ restrictions on transportation. Over 11,000 kilos of assorted vegetables were included in more than 5,200 relief and vegetable packs distributed by the company – a testament that its production model under the Mabakas framework is sustainable. TVIRD likewise rolled-out a weeklong food distribution program and reached-out to almost 7,424 families in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The company’s site personnel and officers sought to alleviate the residents’ difficulties by providing rice, vegetables, canned goods and noodles.Special attention was also given to the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) since they are limited to their homes under the GCQ Protocol. Beneficiaries also include nearly 1,400 Subanen families and farmers from Bayog Municipality whose produce are included in the relief packs. Frontliners in Zamboanga PeninsulaThrough its Balabag Office, TVIRD contributed several boxes of PPEs to major government hospitals, rural health units and birthing clinics in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.Beneficiary institutions include the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Hospital, Wilfredo C. Palma Memorial Hospital in Diplahan, Rural Health Units (RHU) in the joint provinces, Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital in Pagadian City, and Siocon District Hospital – which also serves patients from its 26 barangays and nearby Sirawai and Baliguian towns.“TVIRD backs the government’s campaign against the disease. We are one with the frontliners – and providing them with protection and food is our way of sharing their load,” said TVIRD Balabag Project Manager Engr. Hilario Gingo, Jr.As the first company to be licensed under the Philippine Mining Law, TVIRD established its presence in the Zamboanga Peninsula some 25 years ago and has since fostered a deep relationship with its communities, especially the Subanon and Subanen tribes. The commercial operations of Agata marks the third consecutive project that TVIRD brought on-stream in a period of 10 years. Today, TVIRD-Agata has cultivated strong and resilient communities, self-sustaining indigenous hosts tribe and over 1,300 graduates from its Mabakas Organic Farm School who are aligible for TESDA National Certification.“‘Starting it right and keeping the end in mind’ has guided the company in achieving sustainable operations focused on progressive and final rehabilitation. By providing skills and infrastructure, we endeavour that our communities can sustain themselves beyond the life of the mine,” according to Agata Assistant GM Anthony Quijano.

As part of its commitment to support the education sector, Nickel Asia Corporation subsidiary, Taganito Mining Corporation, donated 7,172 workbooks to the provincial government of Surigao del Norte, in time for the opening of classes. The Php 2 million worth set of English and Mathematics workbooks is part of the company's Social Development and Management Program. The turnover of workbooks was led by TMC Resident Mine Manager Artemio Valeroso in the presence of Governor Francisco Matugas and Dr. Nelia Lomocso, the schools division superintendent of the Department of Education for Siargao, Surigao del Norte Division. In a certificate signed by Gov. Matugas, he thanked TMC “for the wholehearted support in the various undertakings of the Provincial Government which has been instrumental in the success of the Education Caravan School Year 2020-2021”.“NAC-TMC is one with the province of Surigao del Norte in helping our schools become ‘back-to-school ready,” said Valeroso“We are very happy and very thankful. We sincerely thank the Taganito Mining Corporation for this great donation. This will go a long way. The workbooks will be for the benefit of our learners in the island paradise of Siargao,” Lomocso said. Since 2015, TMC has been a partner of the province in the annual Education Caravan wherein various educational supplies such as books, bags, and health kits were distributed to students in Surigao del Norte as well as Siargao island.

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.