Benguet Corp.’s gold operations and nickel business through BenguetCorp Nickel Mines Inc. received the ISO 14001:2015 certification on environment management, the first mining company in the country whose operations are now certified under the 2015 version.
The recognition reiterated the company’s commitment to monitor and mitigate the risks of its operations on the environment.
The ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally agreed standard that specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organization can use to enhance its environmental performance. ISO said the standard is used by the organization seeking to manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.
“The whole organization is euphoric with this certification. For us, it is a testament of our promise to imbibe environmental protection and care in our day-to-day operations,” BC president and chief executive Philip Romualdez said.
“BC will always strive to be a responsible custodian of the environment and its riches. This means making sure all our employees and business partners are involved in keeping the environment intact, mitigating the negative impact of our mining operations on our environment,” he said.
The TÜVRheinland®, an independent body in evaluating management systems headquartered in Cologne, Germany and a leader in international certification in the Philippines, granted the EMS certification to BNMI and BGO using internationally recognized standards.
TÜVRheinland® worked closely with BC’s ISO certification overall project head and vice president for human resources, administration and corporate governance compliance officer Chuchi Cole-del Prado in fostering a culture of excellence among BNMI’s and BGO’s key ISO implementers.
“This is the result of the dedication of the nickel and gold teams led by ISO site lead/HR manager Kirsten Decrepito and VP and resident manager Glenn Duka for BNMI; AVP and OIC resident manager Tony Buenavistawith ISO Site Leaders/ HR manager Eloisa Segarra and Godfrey Atienza, mine geologist for BGO,together with their ISO core team members who worked tirelessly to ensure success in attaining this ISO certification”, del Prado said.
With the certification, both BNMI and BGO are now compliant with the latest administrative order of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR DAO 2015-07) mandating all existing mining firms to secure the ISO certification on environmental management systems on or before May 2016.