Silangan Mindanao Mining Co. (SMMCI) Inc. will spend about P5 billion for community development, environmental protection, and enhancement program and for the final mine rehabilitation and decommissioning program over the course of the mine life of its Silangan Copper-Gold Project in Surigao del Norte.
SMMCI will draw experience from the wealth of experience of its parent firm, Philex Mining Corp. (Philex) in operating a copper-gold mine in the Philippines. Philex, one of the largest publicly-listed Philippine copper and gold producers, operates the Padcal mine in Benguet Province.
During its six decades of operation, Philex claimed to have spent billions of pesos over the decades to develop communities in Benguet, with the bulk of the money going to education, public infrastructure, and information, education, and communication.
Last year, Philex spent P107.5 million on its social and development management program.
The company also boasts of implementing a successful progressive mine rehabilitation program and ensures compliance of standard quality of water resources provided for by the regulators within its mining claim
“The wealth of learnings we have accumulated over the past six decades that we have operated Padcal, the engine that has driven Philex’s growth, has helped us hit the ground running in Surigao del Norte,” Eulalio B. Austin Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Philex said in a statement.
In Surigao del Norte, SMMCI’s mining claim straddles the towns of Placer, Tubod, Tagana-an, and Sison, its host communities and direct beneficiaries of its various would-be SDMP projects.
The initiatives will focus on education, livelihood, promotion of socio-cultural activities, information and education campaign programs, environment and rehabilitation programs in host communities.
This is part of the requirements of the Environment Compliance Certificate granted to the Silangan Project in July 2019 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.