ITOGON, Benguet – The Sangilo and Suyoc mines of the Itogon Suyoc Resources, Inc. (ISRI) spent more than P70.5 million for its various social development and management program (SDMP) projects that benefited its host and neighboring communities last year.
Through the years, ISRI actively contributed to social development of these communities by undertaking community activities/services, like financial assistance for health concerns, facilities and medical professionals, access and support to local schools, livelihood programs for local residents, assistance to socio-cultural activities, and assistance to infrastructure development and facilities improvement.
Among its community development initiatives in 2022 were: financial assistance/sponsorship to various community activities like barangay fiesta & IP celebration, various donations to organizations of senior citizens, various electrical supplies & trash bins for various elementary schools, and road signages to barangay Virac.
Further, ISRI manifested ISRI manifests its commitment to sustainable environmental management and protection campaign through programs and projects like reforestation, TSF raising and enhancement project, slope stabilization, regular road backfilling and grading, regular water sampling, construction of filtration and settling pond at L1300 drain tunnel, clean-up of Ambalanga River, hauling/treatment of residual and hazardous waste, implementation of stack emission test, ambient air quality monitoring and work environment monitoring.
Some of the tree species ISRI propagates in its nursery are the Benguet Pine, coffee, rain trees, rambutan, avocado, and other flowering and ornamental plants, with 3,011 seedlings of Benguet Pine, Coffee, and bamboo donated to several reforestation programs in 2022.
On the other hand, ISRI collaborated with small scale miners through its Big Brother Small Brother (BBSB) program. Under this scheme, ISRI’s partner-organization (usually a cooperative/association of small-scale miners) mines in designated areas within ISRI’s tenements, with small miners also undergoing ISRI’s standard miners’ underground orientation, including safety, security and ISO compliance. In 2022, ISRI renewed its agreement with the Dalicno Small Scale Miners Association (DaSSMA).
Under the BBSB, ISRI remitted P20,594,388 to DaSMMA in 2022.
In 2022, Suyoc Mine’s community development programs included providing financial assistance to health facilities/workers, subsidizing the day care worker for the educational support programs and promoting organic farming and composting. During the 2-yr exploration period, it spent an additional amount of Php 788,000 on top of the CDP as part of its corporation social responsibility to its host barangays and neighboring communities, including the Municipality of Mankayan.
At the Suyoc mine site the environmental work programs focused on land resource and hydrology and water quality management. Suyoc Mine’s nursery propagated pine trees and coffee seedlings for planting in its tenements and donation to local communities. It adopted a reforestation site at Sitio Elizabeth (7 hectares) planted to pine and guava trees.
