Building a legacy of safety and constant preparedness across the TVIRD Group of Companies
Crisis simulation. TVIRD’s Emergency Response Teams are always ready to assist, continuously training to ensure that they can handle a wide range of crisis situations, including fires, landslides and medical emergencies.
Makati City, Philippines / January 2025 – In the global extractives and mineral development sector, a number of natural and manmade hazards exist – inherent risks that must be carefully mitigated through technology and a mindset of constant awareness. At the TVIRD Group, the commitment to occupational safety and health (OSH) is deeply ingrained in its culture across all its project sites: gold and silver mining operations in Siana and Balabag, and final rehabilitation at the Agata Nickel Project.
This same commitment to the well-being of both its personnel and its communities was recently showcased as its Balabag Gold-Silver Project Emergency Response Team (BGSP-ERT) emerged as the 2024 fire brigade champion at the National Safety Competition of the prestigious 70th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference (ANMSEC).
Also, at the same event in Baguio City, the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenstone Resources Corporation – operator of the Siana Gold Project – landed in fourth place. These parallel achievements highlight the group’s high standards and holistic approach to emergency preparedness in addressing the inherent risks in field operations.
A Legacy of Safety
For close to 20 years, the welfare of the TVIRD Group’s workforce remains at centerstage. This dedication has earned the company numerous accolades, including the recent Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan (GKK) Award from the Department of Labor and Employment’s Occupational Safety and Health Center (DOLE-OSHC), owing to more than 30 million safe man-hours with no lost time due to accidents (LTAs) in its mine sites.
Leading the group’s Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) initiatives is Aldrin B. Arieta, who has been instrumental in establishing robust safety standards – and whose guidance of the group’s ERTs led to top honors in both regional and national events such as the first Surigao del Norte Governor’s Rescue Olympics and the National Fire Olympics.
The company also pioneered its own annual Fire and Rescue Olympics in each mine site – a program initiated during the early days of Agata. “This initiative emphasizes every employee’s importance in emergency preparedness. It is also a way to ensure that everyone is ready to respond in time of crisis, even within their own homes,” Arieta said.
Emergency Preparedness
At the forefront of TVIRD’s safety and health initiatives is the establishment the Emergency Response Team – a group of highly-trained personnel equipped to handle a wide range of crisis situations, including fires, landslides and medical emergencies. The ERT undergoes continuous rigorous trainings and realistic simulation exercises to sharpen their skills and ensure they can respond swiftly and effectively in critical emergency situations.
The company also trained its host communities in emergency response and first aid, leading to the establishment of community-based ERTs that empower local residents to respond effectively to emergencies, with the support of TVIRD’s professional team.
By fostering a work culture that prioritizes the well-being of its people, the group contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly on Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8) and Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3) – thus, demonstrating a broader impact that supports global initiatives for sustainable development.
Safety remains at the heart of TVIRD’s operations. In an industry where risks are inevitable, the TVIRD Group strives to show what is possible when safety is ingrained as a fundamental value, extending beyond policies to become a way of life.
