300 mining engineers vow promotion of responsible mining, sustainable development

LEGAZPI CITY, July 15 (PIA) -- Some 300 mining engineers and members of Association of Mining Engineers of the Philippines from different parts of the country convened here recently for a three-day confab.

The convention forms part of the sector's regular assembly and campaign to promote responsible mining and sustainable development.

The activity started Wednesday, July 13, with sports competition like bowling, lawn and table tennis and golf.

During the program proper Thursday, several topics confronting the mining industry were discussed followed by open forum.

Sulpicio Bernardo of Filmera Resources Corporation expounded on the “Masbate Gold Project to Aroroy” Towards Developing Sustainable Communities” while Rocky Dimaculangan of TVI Resource development Inc. and Coalition for Responsible Mining in Mindanao tackled the topic “Communicating to Stockholders-The TVI Model”. Roy Antonio of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. talked about the SMI experience in addressing local interventions in their mining projects.

Artemio Desini, Chairman and Director of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines discussed the topic “Philippine Mining—How the People See It What it Really Is”.

Carmelita Pacis of Rapu-Rapu minerals also tackled the best practices in environmental management of the Rapu-Rapu Polymettalic Project, while Carlito Apari, Administration and Safety Manager of Goodfound Cement Factory talked about the Palanog Cement and how it answers the cement needs of the region.

Other topics tackled during the second day of the activity were “Stability Analysis of Tailings Dam, which was delivered by Marcelo Bolano of Benguet Corporation); “Mining Assay Lab in Green Chemistry’ by Guill-Bern Corporation, ”Overview of Coal Mining Industry in the Philippines” by Redentor Morelos of Coal and Nuclear Mineral resources Development Division of the Department of Energy and the “National land Use Act”, which was discussed by Edna Berces, Chief Economic Development Specialist of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) V.

On Friday, the group will visit some big mining companies in the region like the Filmenera Mining firm in Masbate, the Rapu-Rapu Mining Project and the Palanog Cement Factory in Camalig, Albay.

Legazpi City Councilor Roly Rosal, a mining engineer himself and one of the members of the board of directors of Mining Engineers Association of the Philippines in Bicol said that one of purpose of said activity is to make sure the provisions included in the Environmental Compliance Certificate, along with responsible mining and sustainable development are properly observed by mining companies in their projects. (MAL/JMM, PIA V)