(L-R) Mr. Christian Latiza (MGB), Rocky Dimaculangan (COMP), The keynote speaker Engr. Teodorico Sandoval (MGB), Mr. Lee Scott (Yokogawa Australia), Mr. Prasad CNN (Yokogawa Engineering Asia) and Mr. Joey Ayson, moderator (PMEA). (Photo by Marcelle P. Villegas)
Starting the leap year with the latest trends and developments in the mining industry
The day Feb. 29 is a once-in-every-four-year event and happens only during the Leap Year in the Chinese calendar. This makes it a special day and an auspicious moment to pursue major goals and plans, and to celebrate the day with important people who share the same endeavors.
For a most fitting occasion, Yokogawa hosted a Mining Seminar titled "Powering a Sustainable and Resilient Mining Industry". The event was organized in partnership with Philippine Mining Club and was held at Marco Polo Hotel, Ortigas on Feb. 29, 2024.
The event brought together stakeholders from across the mining industry, government officials, environmental advocates, and local communities to discuss crucial topics about the current state and shaping the future of mining in the region. The seminar covered the latest innovations, sustainable practices, and industry insights. The seminar was also a venue of discussion of opportunities and future-proofing the mining industry, solutions for enhanced mining operations, efficiency and safety and process measurement, and how Yokogawa is supporting mining companies to accelerate their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Amid the rich natural resources and diverse landscapes in Philippines, trending concerns surrounding sustainable mining practices and community development are driving transformation across the industry to address issues such like enhanced safety and productivity, alignment to latest regulations, as well as the collective efforts from the ecosystem to achieve Philippines ESG and net zero goals.
The event invited Atty. Patricia A. O. Bunye, Senior Partner and Deputy Managing Partner, Cruz, Marcelo & Tenefrancia, as the emcee. Mr. Luis S. Doble, Jr., President and Managing Director, Yokogawa Philippines, Inc., gave the welcome address.
The keynote speaker was Engr. Teodorico Sandoval, Chief of Policy, Planning and International Affairs Division and Officer-In-Charge, Assistant Director of Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR), who shared insights and presented the topic of "Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Mining".
The Industry Speaker was Mr. Rocky Dimaculangan, VP for Communications and National Coordinator for Towards Sustainable Mining, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines. He discussed the importance of the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Initiative and how this framework is designed to promote responsible mining practices nationwide.
The presenters from Yokogawa are Mr. Lee Scott, Head of Mining, Yokogawa Australia & New Zealand, Mr. Joshua Kyaw Zwa, General Manager and Head of Regional Sales and Marketing, Yokogawa Engineering Asia, and Mr. Chris Boon Product Manager, Yokogawa Engineering Asia.
Mr. Lee Scott shared about the topic on "The Future of Sustainable Mining Is Here: Advanced Technology Solutions to Realize your ESG and Sustainability Goals", which features Yokogawa’s commitments and innovative solutions to offering consulting, products and services in supporting decarbonization and the transition into a circular economy
Mr. Joshua Kyaw Zwa shared about the Trifecta of Sustainable Mining in areas of Practical Solutions to Operations, Efficiency, and Safety, with discussion on Yokogawa’s expertise in providing reliable and safety excellence through technology and services, including the Distributed Control, cybersecurity solutions, 24/7 security operations center and digitalization of the work permit to address mining challenges and support digital transformation of the industry.
Finally, Mr. Chris Boon's presentation is about the "Accurate Control Process Measurement - Total Insight for Sustainable and Continuous Business Operations Improvement" which uncovered how Yokogawa’s products are adhering to the Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) Standards that aim to improve energy efficiency and monitoring. The LCA standards are used for preliminary assessments of energy use, CO2 emissions, NOx emissions, and SOx emissions throughout a product's lifecycle.
The presenters, including Lee Scott, were joined in the panel discussion to delve into the key steps for continued growth of Philippine Mining Industry, together with Mr. Prasad CNN, Executive VP, Head of Industrial Strategic Business Unit, Yokogawa Engineering Asia and Mr. Christian Kevin Latiza, Senior Environmental Management Specialist at Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The Moderator was Mr. Joey Nelson Ayson - President, Philippine Mining and Exploration Association and President, Geological Society of the Philippines.
Yokogawa’s Asst. Vice President & Head of Industrial Strategic Business Unit, Mr. Buddy Bocarile
with Mr. Joey Nelson Ayson (PMEA President/GSP President)
Before the Closing Remarks, Yokogawa’s Asst. Vice President & Head of Industrial Strategic Business Unit, Mr. Buddy Bocarile honored and awarded the emcee and moderator with tokens of appreciation.
“Every one of us is using the precious minerals that we get from our environment and using them on a daily basis; such like earphones, phones and batteries Moving the needle on sustainable mining requires the collective efforts from stakeholders across the ecosystem.
“It is also a call to action -- that we learned many things, but it is not the information that change us. It is not the information that transform us. It is our action to do the thing rightly, just like what our MGB speaker said earlier.”
”At Yokogawa, we build our product with integrity and we have a strong local support in the country And that is our differentiator. As a global company, Yokogawa welcomes strategic partnerships with government agencies, industry associations, research institutions, and local communities across globe. We believe by working together, we can address complex mining challenges and co-create solutions for a more resilient and sustainable future for Philippines.
About the Company:
Founded in Tokyo in 1915, Yokogawa continues to work toward a sustainable society through its 17,000+ employees in a global network of 129 companies spanning 60 countries.
Mining operations produce valuable minerals or geological materials from the Earth. Economic recovery often requires high throughput and high availability of the process with low operation costs, and stringent safety and environmental regulations.
With over 100 years of expertise in industry automation and technology, Yokogawa has been supporting many leading mining companies to achieve sustainability with optimal safety and productivity. For success references about their satisfied customers across the Southeast Asia and Oceania regions: https://www.yokogawa.com/ph/industries/mining-metal/
Yokogawa's Suite of Products and Solutions include:
1. Decarbonization - Carbon Management Solution, Energy Management Solution, Carbon Footprint Tracer
2. Renewables - Microgrid Controller, Renewable Energy Solutions
3. Control and Sensing Systems - Collaborative Information Server, Distributed Control System, Programmable Logic Controller, Safety Instrumented System
4. Asset Management - Asset Health Insight, Plant Resource Manager
5.Digital Transformation - Cybersecurity, Modular Procedural Automation, Electronic Permit to Work
6. Field Instruments and Analytical - Flowmeter, Analyzer, Transmitter, Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor
Discover and explore how Yokogawa can transform your mining operations and unlock new efficiencies.
For more information, please visit their website at https://www.yokogawa.com/ph/.
(L-R) Vivian Lim (Yokogawa Engineering Asia), Atty. Patricia Bunye (Senior Partner and Deputy Managing Partner,
Cruz, Marcelo & Tenefrancia), Mela E. Cariño (Yokogawa Philippines Inc.)
(Center) Engr. Teodorico Sandoval (MGB) and Mr. Christian Latiza (MGB) with their colleagues from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR)