Filminera Resources Corp. and Phil. Gold Processing & Refining Corp., along with their contractors, achieved a safety milestone at the Masbate Gold Project (MGP) site in Aroroy, Masbate.
The companies reached a six-year period without a lost-time injury (LTI), spanning 2,192 days and involving 38.6 million hours worked as of Nov. 17.
Phil. Gold, the gold processing and refining firm in the MGP, won the national silver award in the 13th Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan conferred by the Department of Labor and Employment Occupational Safety and Health Center.
Meanwhile, Filminera, the mining company in the MGP, achieved the platinum award category in the Philippine Mineral Industry Excellence Award at the recent Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference.
PhilGold is wholly owned by B2Gold Corp., a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. B2Gold also has a 40-percent interest in Filminera.
A commitment to a “zero harm” policy, underpinned by a culture of injury prevention care by employees and contractors, was central to this success.
This was aside from the robust and fit-for-purpose Occupational Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental Management Systems adopted by the firms.
Both companies implemented quality procedures ensuring the safety and well-being of every employee after each shift and work rotation.
Phil. Gold president Ryan Rusk highlighted the collaborative approach toward safety, with leadership, employees, and contractors working together to identify and mitigate hazards.
“I believe we have developed a safety culture that has extended beyond the boundaries of the project site. Workers in the mine and the mill, including our contractors, were able to embrace safety consciousness and awareness, influencing their families and neighbors too,” Rusk said.
Filminera president Cris Acosta emphasized the importance of continued vigilance in safety practices. “The conscious effort to maintain our safety performance requires a commitment that transcends our individual job functions. It is a fragile achievement, one that we must celebrate with a promise to keep working on it.”
