Muslim villagers welcome TVIRD

Cite firm’s contributions to progress in remote coastal village

Imam Sajih Alih speaks sparingly. When he does people listen. Despite his frail body, his bearing commands respect; his words reveal the wisdom of a man of Allah. As an imam, his primary duty is to lead the prayer during Islamic gatherings at the masjid pusaka (ancestral mosque) in Santa Maria, a coastal barangay in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte. And he has done so for more than a decade now.

Imam Alih is among Santa Maria’s more than 3,000 Muslims inhabitants – mostly from the Tausug and Kolibugan (Muslim-Subanon mix) tribes – who have warmly welcomed TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. (TVIRD) into their community. The mining company, which operates a copper-zinc facility in the Subanon indigenous homeland of Canatuan northeast of Siocon, has a warehouse in Santa Maria whose lone port serves as a transshipment point for TVIRD’s copper concentrate exports to China. In Santa Maria, respect for one another, regardless of tribe or creed, prevails.

“Wala pa ko makakita ug kompaniya nga matinud-anon sa pagtuman sa iyang mga obligasyong sosyal. Nakita ko lang kini sa TVIRD (I haven’t seen a company that is so sincere in fulfilling its social responsibility. I’ve seen that only in TVIRD),” says Muarip Salvador, Barangay Chairman of Santa Maria. His family’s leadership in the community traces its roots back to the years shortly before World War II, when his father was teniente del barrio (barrio captain) under American colonial rule. Salvador points out TVIRD’s concern for the welfare of people in its surrounding villages and for the protection of the environment.

Imam Alih agrees: “TVIRD has brought jobs to Santa Maria. It has reinvigorated our economy.” During the company’s shipment days, one of the imam’s children works as part of the crew.

Hamjan Asamuddin, a resident of nearby S. Arabi village, shares the same sentiment. A TVIRD employee for almost a year now, Asamuddin says he is contented with what the company has been doing for the barangays of Siocon. “Its medical missions and its regular maintenance of the roads from RT Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay province, in the east to Siocon in the west can only bring progress to our town.”

TVIRD Canatuan Civil Engineering Services Manager Ed Nercuit, a Muslim himself, and TVIRD Canatuan Assay Laboratory Manager Jerry Gamelo – both key players of the company’s Concentrate Management team – see to it that the community’s trust is sustained by making sure that everything the company does adheres to the principles of responsible mining. Nercuit leads a team that has begun repairing the concrete pavement within the vicinity of the port’s terminal building. “We just want to make it sure that no concentrates will spill into the waters of Santa Maria,” he says.

For his part, Gamelo spearheaded the acquisition of a mechanical sweeper so that spills of copper concentrate – a fine, powdery substance – can be gathered thoroughly and efficiently. “The mechanical sweeper is capable of cleaning wet and dry surfaces with minimal dust generation,” he explains. “The equipment has a hydraulic power broom and a vacuum. As the broom removes the dust from the ground, the dust is absorbed by the vacuum while the finer particles are trapped by the rotary filter. The system has two advantages: first, we are able to recover concentrates that may spill while they are being transferred and, second, we are able to keep the warehouse and port surroundings clean and air pollution-free all the time.”

The team further strengthened TVIRD’s dust suppression program by requiring water trucks to wet the roads thoroughly every time copper concentrates are transported from Canatuan to Santa Maria. Nercuit, who hails from Siocon, says he does not want dust pollution to be a problem for his town mates.

Albert Kiran, a Santa Maria resident, says his new job at TVIRD as mechanical sweeper operator marks his first time he has been formally employed. “Now I have a job that enables me to provide food, shelter and, hopefully, education for my children, Nuruun and Rujuma.”

Back at the masjid pusaka, meanwhile, Imam Alih is visibly happy as he signs the receipt for the construction materials donated by TVIRD to be used for the repair of the mosque. He is pleased that the company shows concern not only for the socio-economic needs of the Muslim faithful in Santa Maria, but for their spiritual well-being as well.

TVIRD has been in Siocon for more than a decade now. While TVIRD continues to benefit from resource development opportunities in this town, the company has also continuously provided jobs, education, health services and livelihood opportunities for Subanons, Muslims and Christians alike. Responsible mining, after all, is good for business – and for gaining friends. (Lullie Micabalo)