Phil. Gold Processing & Refining Corp. and the Provincial Government of Masbate through its Masbate Tourism Office, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) have forged a partnership to prime up two key development projects: organizing 10 cooperatives in the Municipality of Batuan and the full research and documentation of tourism sites of the whole Masbate province.
These projects are part of the Provincial Government's people-driven approach to development.
The establishment of the ten cooperatives in Batuan came from a collective of the Agriculture Department's farmers’ organizations.
The farm-based micro-industries started creating basic goods and services through the enabling mechanisms of the CDA, and increased livelihood and employment opportunities for the people in Masbate.
Phil. Gold provided the cooperatives with office equipment such as laptops, projector with screen, steel cabinets and office desk.
A series of training programs, development inputs and broader partnerships will be held among the key stakeholders in the province to help the cooperatives become self-sustainable.
The initiatives to create a tourist-appealing Masbate will include visual and auditory snippets of unique cultural narratives to make the province well-appreciated by vacationers.
Phil. Gold donated photography and videography equipment such as cameras with accessories, computers and a drone to fully document the tourism sites of Masbate.
“I am very much thankful, and we really appreciate the efforts of Phil. Gold to assist its host province to improve its services to the rest of the Masbatenos, not just their host communities,” says Provincial Administrator Rino Revalo, representing the Provincial Governor.
This private-public partnership between Phil. Gold and the Provincial Government of Masbate aims to spur development in the countryside, and is expected to enhance locals' livelihood and increase business activity in the region.
Phil. Gold has created campaigns and educational programs that engage stakeholders by giving them a peek into Phil. Gold's operations, showing them how the company has provided jobs to the people in Aroroy, and has served as a catalyst for increased economic activities in Masbate.
