OCEANAGOLD CORP. said on Sunday that its Didipio Gold-Copper Mine has earmarked P169 million this year to build farm-to-market roads and multi-purpose buildings for community development in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
“We have expanded the (community development fund’s) coverage to 52 barangays in 2024 from 44 last year. This is proof of our commitment of mining gold for a better future for our communities,” Dipidio Mine President and External Affairs and Social Performance General Manager Joan Adaci-Cattiling said in a statement.
Didipio Mine’s beneficiaries now include the municipalities of Bambang, Bayombong, Solano, Dupax Del Sur, Bagabag, and Diadi in Nueva Vizcaya, and Saguday and Nagtipunan in Quirino, in addition to their original beneficiaries in Kasibu and Dupax del Norte in Nueva Vizcaya and Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Diffun, and Maddela in Quirino.
The company said that it would consult with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Commission on Human Rights, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), and other stakeholders for the proper implementation its funded projects in both provinces.
“These consultations with the communities… ensure that we are on the right track by listening to the proposals of our beneficiaries, allowing us to provide the appropriate multi-sectoral support to our communities,” Ms. Adaci-Cattiling added.
OceanaGold said that its community development fund is derived from 1.5% of its gross mining revenues from the previous year. — Adrian H. Halili
