Didipio Mine challenged by contract’s non-renewal
Credit to Author: Leander C. Domingo, TMT| Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2019 17:35:45 +0000
DESPITE BEING one of the safest gold mining operations in the world with state-of-the-art automated and digital technology, the Didipio Mine of OceanaGold Philippines Inc. (OGPI) still suffers from zero production from the non-renewal of its contract with the Philippine government.
It was in March 2018 when OceanaGold submitted its applications for the renewal of its financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) with the Philippine government.
When its FTAA expired on June 20, 2019, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau issued a letter authorizing the Didipio Mine to continue its operations while the company continued to work with the government to complete the renewal.
OGPI’s Didipio Gold and Copper project is located across Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.
As one of the safest gold mining operations in the world, OGPI received numerous awards.
These were the two Presidential Awards recognizing the mine as the most environmentally and socially responsible mining operations in the Philippines.
Internationally, the company was also awarded the 1st Asean Mineral Award for best practices in sustainable development. Asean is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
David Way, Didipio Mine General Manager, said the mine also implements International Organization for Standardization systems for environmental management, occupational health and safety and energy management.
“Being a proud member of the UN (United Nations) Global Compact, OGPI practices absolute transparency in its commitment to the universal sustainability principles of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption,” Way said.
“This is so because sustainability means earning the right to remain a valuable part of the community for many years to come,” he added.
Also, OGPI has delivered significant socioeconomic benefits to the host barangay of Didipio and 10 other neighboring villages in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
“We directly employ 1,500 workers, where approximately 97 percent are Filipinos, with 59 percent who hail from local communities,” Way said.
He said the company also provides livelihood opportunities and indirect jobs through partnerships with cooperatives and social development organizations. Religious groups are also thankful for OGPI’s providing school, roads and electricity to the community.
“Our major initiative was to contribute to the local economy through the construction of a P43 million senior high school building at Eastern Nueva Vizcaya National High School,” Way added.
A report presented to the Philippine Mining and Exploration Association showed that OGPI has generated over 3,000 jobs as part of its economic contribution to the country.
The report added that 119 kilometer of roads were improved and developed, 201 scholars graduated since 2007, 11 mining engineers produced and 114 local residents trained to become globally competitive underground mine workers. The company also established a community-owned corporation that offers a multitude of services to OGPI while financially and technically supporting 13 agricultural cooperatives.