DIDIPIO MINE, Nueva Vizcaya—With thousands of mining employees fed from breakfast to dinner, Australian mining firm OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) has reaffirmed its support to the production of high-value crops in Barangay Didipio, home to its Didipio operation.
As part of its continuing efforts to ensure a productive and healthy community, the firm is revitalizing the program to encourage more villagers, including teachers and students, to plant nutritious vegetables and fruits right in their own backyard. This will not only ensure residents of a continuous supply of homegrown crops, but also meet the vegetable and fruit requirements of Ogpi employees.
“Mining and agriculture can coexist, and Nueva Vizcaya is a citrus capital. It is precisely of this reason that we conduct a series of citrus seminars among our local farmers to educate them further on proper production and post-harvest techniques,”OGPI SVP for Communications and External Affairs Chito Gozar said.
Aside from the farm-to-market roads constructed by the mining firm in surrounding villages, Gozar said farmers in Barangay Didipio now find it more convenient to transport their products because of the all-weather access road developed by the mining firm.
Last year OceanaGold Philippines was again awarded by no less than President Duterte the Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award (PMIEA) for exhibiting outstanding level of dedication, initiative and innovation in pursuit of excellence in mining operations, environmental, safety, health management and community
development.
“One of the most significant contributions to its host communities over and above the mandated requirements under the Philippine Mining Act is the Didipio Community Development Corp. [DiCorp], which was established on August 11, 2011, to assist the local community in creating sustainable business partnership among enterprising locals,” Gozar said.
DiCorp Chairman Henry Guay informed his community-based business enterprise, composed of 391 genuine Didipio residents, employs some 372 local workers who offer services, like food catering, for the OGPI Operations and take charge in maintaining the 22-kilometer service road developed by the mining firm from Dibibi, Cabarroguis and Quirino to the Didipio mine site. DiCorp is one of the two top tax-payers in Nueva Vizcaya, next to OceanaGold.
“DiCorp is the best corporate partnership that binds original Didipio local that provides services of world-class standards,” Guay said.
The Didipio Operations employs more than 1,800 mining employees and feed them daily for free.
“The ongoing pavement of the road to the mine site is a favorable project not only for our workers but for everyone who regularly commutes to the community center because of the friendly road design,” Gozar said.
Image credits: Leonardo Perante II