TUBA, Benguet—Thirty-seven of the more than 60 applicants interested in becoming geologic aides passed the recent screening done by the Philex Geo Aide Academy (PGAA), at Philex Mining Corp.’s Padcal mine in this province.
The successful applicants make up the second batch of students who would train for about five months through a program organized, funded and run by the company.
“We should all be thankful for this opportunity extended to us by the company,” Philex Mining Vice President for Exploration Redempta Baluda said in a speech during ceremonies welcoming the new batch on June 13.
Addressing the batch members, six of whom are women, Baluda added: “Take it seriously because it’s a beautiful program.”
“I enjoin you to take advantage of this project,” he said at Padcal mine’s Smith Hall, in this town’s Barangay Camp 3, on Wednesday. “You should be open to learning new things. That way, you can improve yourself.”
In September last year, 23 geologic aides completed their training and/or retraining through the same program. Seventeen of those graduates are now working full-time at the different departments of Padcal mine.
Genesis D. Cellona, a Philex Mining geologist in-charge of the PGAA, said a select team of his colleagues has been tasked to administer lectures to and guide the field works, pro bono, of this year’s batch of PGAA.
“The lectures and field works will be done after office hours and during weekends, so these won’t hamper our regular work schedules,” Cellona added emphasizing that participants are set to learn structural and geologic mapping, sampling procedures and drilling, among other subjects.
He added that besides acquiring new skills that would equip them to face life challenges, the participants could also become some sort of spokesmen for the company, serving as vehicles to disseminate information to their respective villages around the host towns of Tuba and Itogon on Philex Mining’s exploration activities, as well as its conscientious and responsible mining practices.
Padcal mine’s Community Relations (Comrel) Department, according to Cellona, provided the budget of P170,000 for this year’s PGAA, slightly lower to last year’s P209,600. Cellona said most equipment needed for the program had already been bought.
Comrel Manager Aurora Dolipas said the budget was made available through the Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences (DMTG), one of the three pillars of the company’s corporate social responsibility program.
Being implemented for the company’s pursuit of programs to develop the mining industry, the DMTG complements the social development and management program and the information, education and communications campaign—all mandated by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, according to Cellona.