TVIRD Balabag brings emergency preparedness closer to children in host communities
Safety begins with me. TVIRD turns safety and first aid training into a learning experience for elementary students of Barangays Dipili and Depore.Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur/ October 2026 – Every parent wants their child to be safe – not only at home, but also in school. Yet emergencies can happen without warning. In those moments, knowing how to stay calm, recognize danger, and ask for help can make all the difference.
With this in mind, key safety personnel of TVIRD conducted a Mini Emergency Response Team (Mini-ERT) training for 20 elementary students in host Barangays Depore and Dipili. The initiative brought practical safety lessons closer to young learners, giving them basic knowledge and skills they can use at school, share with their families at home, and create awareness in their communities.
The lessons were delivered by a team with nationally recognized emergency response capabilities. TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) – whose ERT won the national fire brigade competition in 2024 – operates the Balabag Gold and Silver Project in Zamboanga del Sur. The company’s ERT was likewise hailed overall national champion at the Mine Safety Field Competition in 2025, where teams were tested in first aid, fire suppression, disaster response, and rescue.
For Safety and Health Superintendent Nicetas Ruth Rosal, the activity reflects the importance of making safety education part of children’s early learning experiences: “Safety awareness should begin at an early age. When children understand the basics of emergency preparedness, they become more aware of their surroundings and learn how to respond appropriately when unexpected situations arise,” she said.
Learning through practice
Through interactive discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, the students practiced basic bandaging, learned the proper use of a fire extinguisher, and explored what to do during fires, injuries, earthquakes, and other hazards.
They were likewise trained not to panic or put themselves in danger. They learned to pause, recognize potential hazards, follow instructions, and know when to call an adult or emergency responder for help. The hands-on approach turned unfamiliar emergency procedures into lessons the children could see.
Rosal emphasized that the objective is for them to develop habits and judgment they can carry with them as they grow.
“We want them to develop the right safety habits while they are young. The knowledge they gain today can help them make better decisions during emergencies and may also enable them to help others when it is safe and appropriate to do so,” she explained.
Safety beyond the mine site
Emergency preparedness may be essential in mining operations, but its value is just as clear in the places families live, children study, and neighbors interact.
Through the Mini-ERT training, TVIRD brought its safety advocacy closer to the community. The initiative underscored that preparedness does not end at the mine site. But rather, it belongs in homes, classrooms, and everyday family conversations.
In Depore, the Mini-ERT activity complements TVIRD’s continuing support for a safer learning environment. Through its Social Development and Management Program, the company helped provide the elementary school with a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office and clinic in 2025, alongside improvements to classrooms and other facilities.
The activity also builds on the company’s broader effort to develop community-based emergency response teams in its host areas. By sharing professional training and practical first-aid knowledge with local residents, the company has helped communities strengthen their own capacity to respond during crises.
Building safer communities
The Mini-ERT training reflects TVIRD’s continuing effort to extend its safety advocacy beyond its operations and into its communities – reaching young participants as well as their families who guide and care for them.
By investing in the preparedness of young learners in Depore and Dipili, the initiative reinforces a message every parent can relate to: children cannot be shielded from every risk, but they can be taught to recognize danger and make responsible choices.
For the 20 students who participated, the activity was an early lesson in confidence, responsibility, and care for others – skills that can guide them as they grow older. Because safer communities are built not only by trained professionals, but also by prepared children, supportive parents, and neighbors who understand that safety is everyone’s responsibility.
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