TVIRD gives a taste of `Responsible Mining’ to people of Bayog
But this has changed only very recently.
In a simple turn-over ceremony, Renne Subido – Vice President for Corporate Social Commitment of TVI Resource Development (Phils.) Inc. (TVIRD) – handed over a newly-constructed school building for the barangay folk of San Isidro to Provincial Governor Antonio H. Cerilles . This was witnessed by Mayor Leonardo Babasa, Jr. and barangay officials.
|
|
“I am glad that you welcomed the entry of TVIRD in your town because this time the province and the municipality will benefit from their operations through taxes and other benefits required of them by our laws. And most of all there will be no destruction to our environment simply because the entry of the company means the entry of responsible mining in our area,” said Governor Cerilles in his speech.
Still on its pre-development stage at Balabag, the company has already provided various projects and programs for its host barangay and several other barangays that will be impacted by its forthcoming mining operation.
The governor was purposely in town to receive the school building along with other projects that were all built by TVIRD for Bayog. It is an isolated agricultural town around 80 kilometers north of Pagadian City, the provincial capital.
“Surely, the company is already contributing to our development even if it has not begun its operations yet,” Cerilles emphasized.
TVIRD is a holder of a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) authorized by the government to operate a gold-silver project in more than 4,000 hectares surrounding the enclave of Balabag.
|
|
The company has still to commence its full mining operations; however, in 2011 it has spent Php 18-M for various community projects such as the repair of barangay roads and the construction of school buildings, water reservoirs, and foot bridges.
“Gone are the days of ‘what is yours is mine,’ and ‘what is mine is mine.’ For 30 years, they only helped themselves and are now immensely wealthy. But they never gave help to the town and its people,” declared the governor. He obviously referred to the financiers and operators of the illegal small-scale miners of Balabag. Many of these operators have become elected government officials of the town.
|
|
Aside from not having government permits, the illegal small-scale miners use crude and environmentally-harmful mining methods; employ children as laborers; and never pay taxes to the government. They did not spend single centavo for social development projects required by the mining laws.
The governor, accompanied by Mayor Babasa and VP Subido, spent the entire day inaugurating projects that include a concrete water reservoir in Barangay Mataga; a newly-refurbished village hall in Depore, and another two-classroom school building in Barangay Depase.
Meanwhile, in Kalairan village in adjacent Buug, the engineering team of TVIRD just repaired part of a road that was recently damaged and rendered impassable. Many commuters including Mary Jean Bongabong, a resident of Bayog, expressed thanks to the engineering team lead by Engr. Danny Halago.
|
|
“Had it not for the company’s prompt action, I would have no other idea how to reach Buug,” she said. “For many decades, the road served as Bayog’s link to Buug and the rest of the region,” she added.
In another development, more than 2,600 children were provided with school supplies by the company’s Community Relation and Development Office (CreDO), just few days before they embarked to the different government schools in the town.
“The project is a manifestation of the company’s commitment for community development through responsive education,” said Nerissa Corilla, CreDO manager.
School children from grade school to elementary in all public schools in the villages of Depore, Dipili, Pulangbato, Dimalinao, Bantal, San Isidro, Damit, Depase, Mataga Elementary School, Depase and Salawagan, were each given notebooks, pencils, ballpens and crayons. “This is one way of helping our poor parents who have difficulties in sending their kids to school,” added Corilla.
In another development, some 350 farmers from 20 barangays in Bayog will soon benefit from the joint agri project of TVIRD and the provincial government. A Memorandum of Agreement between TVIRD and the province of Zamboanga del Sur will establish a cassava plantation in Bayog. The project has a budget of Php11.6-M jointly-funded by the company and provincial government.
“So far, this is the biggest project that our farmers have had in Bayog for many years,” a Subanon farmer said.
For Governor Cerilles, the socio-economic developments given by the company for Bayog are not at all surprising. After all, he saw how Siocon municipality of Zamboanga del Norte, progressed from 4th class into a 1st class municipality as a result of responsible mining. With TVIRD as the governor’s partner, Bayog will be another success like Siocon. (Ping Deliverio)