ITOGON, Benguet – Some eight small-scale miners groups in various barangays are now benefitting from the Itogon Suyoc Resources, Incorporated’s big brother, small brother project to help in providing sustainable sources of livelihood for pocket miners who were deprived of their economic activities following the temporary suspension of small-scale mining over three years ago.
ISRI officer-in-charge Dr. Eric S. Andal disclosed that the 8 groups of pocket miners are composed of approximately 90 pocket miners who are working on a rotation basis to earn income from the roll out of the big brother, small brother project within the company’s tenement area.
Apex Mining Company, Inc. (AMCI), ISRI’s mother company, successfully implemented the big brother, small brother project in its Macu mine in Davao de Oro where the company partnered with small-scale miners associations in the area to provide them with sustainable sources of livelihood.
The ISRI official claimed that the pocket miners who are now working with the company through the big brother, small brother project have been provided with free trainings on safety and other aspects of mining before they were allowed to perform their duties under the close supervision and monitoring of the company’s personnel.
Andal added that there are some 6 pocket miners groups that also signified their intention to be the partners of the company under the said project but ISRI is still looking for areas within its tenement area where they will be assigned to work for the to establish their sustainable source of income after the imposition of the temporary suspension of pocket mining activities in the whole Cordillera.
ISRI started implementing the big brother, small brother project in its Sangilo mine last May that earned the support of the 8 small-scale mining groups who are under the umbrella of a larger organization that paved the way for them to resume their small-scale mining activities under the company’s supervision and monitoring to ensure their compliance to the prevailing standards.
Under the said concept, the company will purchase the ore that will be produced by the pocket miners based on the prevailing prices.
According to him, the company’s big brother, small brother project is geared towards helping the displaced pocket miners in advancing the state of the small-scale mining industry that had been heavily impacted by the temporary suspension order handed down over 3 years ago aggravated by the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which had been existing over the past 2 years.
Andal expressed hope that the company will be able to find additional working areas where the 6 interested small-scale mining groups will be assigned to be able to help more pocket miners to recover and allow them to establish their sustainable sources of livelihood for them to be able to continue uplifting the living condition of their families that will pave the way to recovery not only from the suspension order but also the prevailing pandemic.
ISRI is still on its developmental stage with a daily production of 200 tons per day which is projected to be increased to 400 tons per day this year while awaiting for the development of other working areas that will be beneficial in generating jobs and economic activities for the people.
