TVIRD’s new Mill Operations Manager shows how
to. As soon as he speaks, his expertise begins to manifest, making every conversation
with him about his chosen field an educational experience . He explains the
intricacies of copper-zinc production in a way that an uninitiated individual
can easily understand, and he does so in a cool, measured manner, almost like
telling a bedtime story to a child.
Germidas Laspinas – “Popoy” as he prefers
to be called – is the new Mill Operations Department Manager of TVI Resource
Development Philippines, Inc.’s (TVIRD) operations in Canatuan, the ancestral
domain of the Subanon indigenous people that hosts the company’s Sulphide
(Copper-Zinc) Project. He brings with him 33 years of experience in mineral
processing, 25 years of which were spent in copper flotation.
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Popoy
Laspinas (left) coaches helper Perry Panimbang at the flotation cell section of the Mill. Popoy is “really an operations man,” says one of his colleagues. “He knows the smallest details of our operations.” |
Popoy hit the ground running in Canatuan. Already, he has introduced
the posting of Metallurgical Laboratory analysis results in the Sulphide Plant’s
rougher cell area every two hours, and requires “flotation people”
– personnel who man the flotation cells – to read the results as
soon as they’re available.
“This is being pro-active,” he explains. “We
are doing this so that Operations people will know what to do in case the results
show that changes should be made in the use of reagents to be able to meet the
specifications from our buyers.”
He also emphasizes the important role that the Metallurgical
Laboratory plays in operations. He refers to the Lab as the “think tank”
that will guide Operations on what to do.
“Along with the Lab data are recommendations, which I
require our personnel to immediately act on,” Popoy adds. “Also,
our supervisors make sure that the data and recommendations are communicated
and understood down the line.”
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Above,
Popoy (left) discusses Metallurgical Laboratory analysis data with grinding helper Jaime Carpio (right) and flotation operator Ruel Ebal (partly hidden). Below, Popoy with Mill Supervisor Nonoy Adorable at the posting area of MetLab reports. “We are doing this so that Operations people will know what to do in case the results show that changes should be made in the use of reagents to be able to meet the specifications from our buyers,” Popoy explains. |
A stickler for tight coordination, he makes it a point to
speak with employees involved in operations throughout the day, and even at
night. As early as 5:45 in the morning, he is already making his rounds at
the rougher cells or at the filter press areas.
“Popoy is always approachable, friendly and treats
everybody fairly,” says Rey Carubio, Mill Superintendent, of his new
boss. “He is hands-on and flexible. He consults us before making decisions
or changes in the department. And while he consults, he also listens to suggestions
and values the opinions of his subordinates, a rare trait for an experienced
executive.”
Mill Operations Supervisor Dennis Torres agrees with Carubio,
adding that Popoy is simple and down-to earth, always with a ready smile when
being approached. No wonder why his colleagues at the Mill have trust and
confidence in him.
Torres adds that Popoy is “really an operations man”.
“He knows the smallest details of our operations. He also makes it a
point to sit down with us if there is a problem, even if it is just a small
one. He wants to solve issues however small they are. He does not want a problem
to recur and upset operations. Popoy is not the type of boss who would hide
in his office and receive reports from the field. He goes out to see how the
operation is going.”
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Popoy
discusses problems with his men, however small these problems are. He does not these to recur and upset operations. In photo, Popoy is shown at right with Mill Supervisor Ricky dela Cruz (left) and filtration operator Jonard Pinero. |
“Ours is a complex ore. It has the presence of other
chemicals that makes our work very challenging,” Torres elaborates.
“But because there is further closer coordination between the Mine and
the Mill Operations departments, we have been getting better recoveries because
the Mine feeds the right ore to the Mill. It means the departments are not
merely talking but, more importantly, communicating.”
“Sir Popoy also shares with us his vast experience
in Metallurgy. While some bosses tend to keep their experiences to themselves,
he does not. He makes it a point that he shares what he knows with us,”
says Torres.
Popoy finished his BS in Metallurgical Engineering degree
in Mapua Institute of Technology, a reputable engineering school in Manila.
After passing his board licensure examinations for Metallurgists, he applied
and was immediately hired by Lepanto, one of the biggest and oldest homegrown
mining companies in the Philippines, where he stayed until his retirement
in 2006.
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Popoy,
second from right, with Ricky dela Cruz (far left), filtration helper Ruel Guinagag (second from left) and Mill consultant Rey Montez (far right). “Sir Popoy also shares with us his vast experience in Metallurgy. While some bosses tend to keep their experiences to themselves, he does not. He makes it a point that he shares what he knows with us,” says one of his men. |
He can be considered multi-lingual as he can speak three
major languages in these islands. But he calls himself a “genuine Ilonggo”
(for the people and the language spoken in the Panay-Negros island group in
Western Visayas), having been born and raised in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
He can speak fluent Ilocano, the language of his wife Sandra (nee Esguera)
who hails from the Ilocos Region in Northern Philippines. And, since prior
to joining the TVIRD Canatuan Team in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Popoy had
worked with other mining companies in Mindanao – in Cabadbaran, Agusan
del Norte and in Placer, Surigao del Norte – he can understand and converse
in Cebuano, the language spoken in Central Visayas and in most of Mindanao.
Shortly before joining TVIRD, Popoy worked in Vietnam under
Olympus Pacific Minerals, a Canadian firm that is into gold and silver mining,
where he was plant superintendent for two years. He went home to the Philippines
in late 2008 following the end of his contract.
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One
of the rare times that Popoy is in his office. As early as 5:45 in the morning, he is already making his rounds at the rougher cells or at the filter press areas. |
Popoy has three children. The eldest is an Electronics and
Communication Engineer who finished his course at St. Louis University in
Baguio City and is already working with a multinational firm. The second is
a Radio Technologist in Benguet General Hospital, also in this city, while
the youngest holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and is
now working in Manila.
Always an optimist, Popoy believes that after the debugging
process that the new Sulphide Plant is currently undergoing, as all new copper
production plants have to go through, all operations goals – including
further improved copper recoveries and further reduction of unwanted metals
– will be met . He believes in the competence and capability of the
members of his new team, all of whom are geared up – and have the track
record – to succeed. (Lullie Micabalo)