Defending the Governor’s crown as the leading industrial level ERT
The Greenstone ERT earned the championship trophy and a ₱50,000 cash prize as it was hailed the overall champion of the second Governor’s Rescuelympics. The award was formally received by company president, Engr. Anthony Quijano (center), together with team members and key officers.Tubod, Surigao del Norte / August 2026 – Greenstone Resources Corporation (GRC) once again demonstrated its proficiency in safety and emergency preparedness when its Emergency Response Team (ERT) successfully defended its title as Overall Champion during the 2026 Governor’s Rescuelympics in Surigao del Norte – making history as the competition’s first back-to-back champion. The victory follows Greenstone’s championship debut last year and reaffirms its leadership in the region.
The Governor’s Rescuelympics is organized as part of the province’s initiatives to strengthen disaster resilience and emergency response capabilities. It brings together ERTs from local government units, industrial companies, and volunteer organizations, and challenges the participants through realistic rescue, firefighting, and emergency scenarios to test their technical competence, teamwork, endurance, and decision-making under pressure.
A Dominant Performance
Throughout the competition, the Greenstone team delivered an outstanding performance, leading in the Ultimate Rescue Challenge, Community Fire Buster, Blazing Tactics, and Hose Management Relay. The team also received recognitions for its unified strategy: the Most Organized Team, Best Team Dynamics, and Most Competitive Team special awards – further highlighting the discipline that has become synonymous with Greenstone’s safety culture.
For company president, Engr. Anthony Quijano, the back-to-back championship reflects more than competitive success. It embodies the company’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives.
“Winning the Governor’s Rescuelympics for the second consecutive year is a proud milestone for Greenstone. More importantly, it reflects the culture we continue to build — one where safety is not simply a requirement, but a shared value embraced by every employee,” he said.
A world-class ERT
Meanwhile, Safety and Health Manager Aldrin Arieta emphasized that the achievement was the result of rigorous preparations and continuous improvement.
“This victory is the result of countless hours of training, simulation exercises, and skills development. Our team continuously challenged itself to improve because emergencies demand competence, discipline, and teamwork,” he explained.
The Governors idea behind the fete
When Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers launched the RescueLympics in 2024, the vision was straightforward but purposeful: bring the province’s rescuers, both industrial and community-based teams together to test their skills, share their experiences, and strengthen their readiness for emergencies.
Now on its second edition in 2026, the competition has become an event where government and private responders can learn from one another and reinforce teamwork when every second can make a difference.
At its core, the RescueLympics is about preparing before emergencies happen. For Governor Barbers, every challenge and every shared experience serves a greater purpose: to build a province whose responders are not only trained and capable, but ready to stand together, engage with confidence, and protect lives when it matters most.
A culture of safety and emergency preparedness
Greenstone’s consecutive victories are underscored by its sustained investment in regular rescue simulations, firefighting drills, specialized technical rescue training, and competency enhancement programs. These ensure that the company’s ERT remains in shape and adequately equipped to respond effectively to emergencies within its operations and host communities.
The company is also approaching a major safety milestone at its Siana Project, with nearly 20 million safe manhours without any loss-time incident recorded. The achievement reflects years of commitment to safety across the operation. It likewise underscores the company’s continuing efforts to strengthen risk management, promote safe work practices, and foster a workplace culture where every employee takes responsibility for ensuring that everyone goes home safe at the end of each working day.
And as Greenstone celebrates its recent milestone, it remains steadfast in advancing a workplace where safety, preparedness, and operational excellence are embedded in every aspect of its operations.
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