A thriving organization boasting of a harmonious relationship between the employees and management reflects a productive, peaceful, and well-informed people. Such is the case at Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI), a gold producer operating in Itogon (Benguet) and a subsidiary of Apex Mining.
Together, ISRI and its Labor Management Council (LMC) called the ISRI-Pinnateg Council promote workers’ welfare by providing leisure activities, livelihood, as well technical and safety training. And to cultivate a multiplier effect, the trainings are extended to their families and ISRI’s host communities, too.
Engr Robert F. Wagtingan, ISRI’s resident manager, credits the stability offered by ISRI-Pinnateg to the support of government agencies like TESDA and RCMB-CAR.
“To make our labor relations more robust and truly responsive to the needs of our employees, we partner with TESDA and the RCMB-CAR on different activities.” TESDA is the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority while the RCMB-CAR refers to the Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branch- Cordillera Administrative Region.
Owing to its history of labor issues over its close to a century of existence (ISRI has transferred owners several times until it was finally acquired by Apex Mining of business tycoon Enrique Razon’s group in 2014), ISRI is now, more than ever, committed to fostering open and transparent communication in the workplace. Today, through the ISRI-Pinnateg Council, ISRI’s management ensures that the collective voices of the employees are heard and their concerns addressed.
“It is all about empowerment,” says Wagtingan.
Wagtingan emphasizes that the company prioritizes safety and health with employees consistently undergoing safety procedures and training to ensure that in times of need, they are ready. In fact, ISRI received the Safety Seal certification awarded by the Department of Labor and Employment – Cordillera Administrative Region in 2022 (as the world was slowly grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic) for its compliance with the government’s minimum public health standards, including the integration with the contact tracing application, StaySafe.ph.
For the employees to be well-equipped with knowledge and skills, the ISRI-Pinnateg Council facilitates enterprise-based training (EBT) on LPT, LHD, jumbo drill operation. Skills (both practical and soft) enhancement trainings are also offered, such as how to use Microsoft Office applications to improve report generation and document filing. These soft skills refresher courses not only remind employees of proper operations but also lead them to professional growth.
TESDA, being a partner of both Apex Mining and ISRI in providing technical training, also collaborates with the ISRI-Pinnateg Council on implementing the National Certification II (NC2) for welding, carpentry, backhoe/heavy equipment operator and the like. Those under their community-based training program include sub-contracting small and menial jobs, such as cleaning, hauling, brushing, and baking bread and pastry. These training activities are intended upskill the wives of the workers and other members of ISRI’s host communities for increased livelihood opportunities.
Aside from training, sports activities pave the way for the workers to relax and unwind. Through sports, the management and employees’ intertwined relationship is made stronger by camaraderie and teamwork — which are important in the workplace.
The ISRI-Pinnateg Council is, indeed, for the employees, their families, the management, and of course, the community. As ISRI is known to have employees from diverse cultural ethnicities, celebrations such as the Indigenous Peoples’ Month are important for the preservation, recognition and understanding of these sub-cultures.
As the saying goes, One team, One game — the collective team of ISRI management, ISRI-Pinnateg Council plus the support of allied agencies make for a successful Itogon-Suyoc Resources, Inc..
