ITOGON, Benguet – The Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of the Davao-based Apex Mining, donated some four hundred antigen test kits to this mining town and Mankayan to help in the early screening and detection of possible, suspected and probable Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
The donation of antigen kits to the mining towns is part of the assistance being extended by the company to its host and neighboring communities following the previous surge in COVID cases in the mining camps in the municipality and the possible increase in cases in Mankayan town.
The provision of assistance to ISRI’s host and neighboring communities to help in addressing the heavy impact of the prevailing health pandemic to the living condition of the people and to assist local governments in their early detection and control activities to abate the spread of the deadly virus in their respective communities.
Earlier, ISRI reported some 151 COVID cases in its mine camp but most were able to recover from the illness. As of this writing, no additional positive cases have been recorded and there remains only 1 active case.
ISRI also committed to the Itogon municipal government the availability of its isolation tents and folding beds for use in case these will be needed to cater to the isolation needs of individuals that will have to undergo the isolation for them to recover from the virus.
Aside from helping the LGU manage COVID cases in their area, ISRI is also thinking of possible ways to help their host communities revive their respective local economies. According to Apex Mining president and chief executive officer Louie R. Sarmiento, the company can replicate the success of its big brother, small brother concept in Maco, Davao de Oro in its mine camps in Itogon and Mankayan to help small-scale miners in addressing safety and environmental issues that are among the major issues and concerns besetting the pocket mining industry over the past several years in the province’s mining communities.
Apex mining president and chief executive officer Louie R. Sarmiento urged officials of subsidiary companies like ISRI to ensure that they reach out to the officials and the people in their host and neighboring communities and for them to extend whatever available assistance that they will be able to provide to help in mitigating the effects of the prevailing pandemic to their health and safety. By HENT