KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social development management program dubbed “We Care,” Australian mining firm OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) recently donated P43 million for the construction of a three-story senior high-school building on the Eastern Nueva Vizcaya National High School (ENVNHS) campus in Barangay Didipio in this town.
Construction is in full swing. The donation is in support to the implementation of the K to 12 Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the mining village, home to the OGPI Didipio gold-copper project.
During the eighth Annual Global CSR Summit and Awards 2016 last summer in Indonesia, out of 200 entries received from all over the world, OGPI was accorded the Gold Award for Best Workplace Practices.
Designed to house 18 classrooms, the three-story building is expected to be completed by September this year. It will be equipped with two science-laboratory rooms to meet the requirements of senior high-school enrollees from Didipio and neighboring communities.
Another P10-million financial assistance was donated to the DepEd in Region 2 by the mining firm as additional support to the same K to 12 curriculum implementation in 16 schools of Nueva Vizcaya and 18 schools in Quirino for a total of 34 additional beneficiary schools.
The financial assistance shall answer the funding for teachers’ training and the purchase of equipment or tools needed for the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) discipline and science, technology, engineering, mathematics computer hardware and programming.
“Previously, essential health care for elementary pupils, construction of day-care facilities and improvement of comfort rooms were the initial educational support programs we have given to our host village and neighboring communities,” OGPI Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Chito Gozar said.
A number of scholarship grants were also given to deserving students in Didipio and nearby communities.
The Australian firm keeps partnership ties with the local communities and educational institutions in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces—Nueva Vizcaya State University, Quirino State University, Eastern Nueva Vizcaya National High School and Didipio Elementary School.
The “We Care” Program has 6 components that include Environment, Education and Promotion of Socio-Cultural Values, Health, Employment, Business Development and Infrastructure.
To set its objectives into action, multi-sector and inter-disciplinary working committees were organized under a Central Steering Committee composed of General Manager David Way of Didipio Operations, Kasibu Mayor Alberto Bumolo Jr. and Didipio Barangay Chairman Alfredo Pugong Jr.
Image credits: Leonardo Perante II