BAGUIO CITY – More than four thousand mining industry stakeholders and partners joined the week-long activities lined up by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) for the 68th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference held last week in various parts of the city.
PMSEA president Louie Sarmiento stated that mining industry stakeholders and partners were eager to attend the face-to-face gatherings for this year’s week-long events that was able to contribute around P75 million to the local economy.
He added that the projected number of attendees did not include the members of their families whom they brought to the city to visit the Summer Capital after undergoing community quarantine restrictions over the past 2 years.
The PMSEA official disclosed that even the number of companies that participated in the annual Minerals Industry Parade and the skills competition reached record-breaking levels which is an indication of the desire of the mining sector to adhere to the practice of responsible mining leading towards proper occupational health and safety in the work place, sound environmental management and social progress.
According to him, there are some mining industry stakeholders who prefer to attend the sports competitions and go back to their work places while there are other delegates who really take time to attend the minerals industry symposium and the community relations conference to help in enhancing their knowledge and skills that will be helpful in advancing the PMSEA’s advocacy on responsible mining.
Sarmiento claimed that aside from the more than 1,000 attendees to the minerals industry symposium and other conferences that were conducted during the week-long activity, there were also more than 600 individuals who virtually attended the gatherings.
He assured the mining industry stakeholders that the PMSEA will continue to work together to introduce the appropriate innovations that will entice more participants to join the annual gatherings that will be annually conducted in the city.
The Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference started way back in the 1950s when the group was known as the Baguio City Mine Safety Operators Association until it was later renamed to PMSEA that sustained the advocacy on the practice of occupational health and safety, sound environmental management and social development among mining companies operating in the country.
The PMSEA is a volunteer organization that aims to advocate for the practice of responsible mining among operating mines in various parts of the country to help in addressing issues and concerns confronting the mining industry and to negate the perception that mining is destructive.
Mining has contributed 1 percent to the country’s gross domestic product through the years and that it remains to have bright prospects because of the presence of huge mineral deposits in mineralized areas around the archipelago.
