KASIBU, Nueva VizcayaOcenaGold’s Didipio mine here has been shortlisted among the three finalists in the “Best in Mineral Processing” at the First Asean Mineral Awards.
The mining company was chosen as the Philippine representative in the category by the award body’s Technical Working Committee last March.
Environment Undersecretary Mario Luis Jacinto informed OceanaGold of its nomination to represent the Philippines. “After strict evaluation of all entries from the participating Southeast Asian nations by the AMA Board of Judges, the Philippines makes it to the top three finalists,” Jacinto said.
OceanaGold executives will be presenting to the Board in November. The winners will be announced during the Asean Ministerial Meeting on Minerals in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in December.
“It is with great pride that we will be representing the Philippines in such a prestigious award, the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian region. Through living our values of respect, integrity, teamwork, innovation, action and accountability, we are able to work positively and safely with our communities while protecting the environment from our impacts,” OceanaGold Philippines Vice President for External Affairs and Communications Chito Gozar said.
The Asean Mineral Awards is a biennial award established to honor Asean mining companies that have made outstanding contributions toward the promotion of environmentally and socially sustainable minerals development in the Asean region.
The awards recognize contributions involving actual impacts on community development, implications on Asean minerals supply, human resource development, productivity and resource efficiency, and actual measures to address health, safety and environmental performance.
Mining companies and projects producing non-energy mineral products and in operation for at least three years prior to March 31, 2017 are eligible to apply. The Awards are contested in three categories:
Best Practices in Minerals Mining (including quarrying)
Best Practices in Minerals Processing (including smelting)
Best Practices in Minerals Distribution (including transportation, handling and storage)
The Didipio Mine process plant is a fully automated plant and utilizes clean technology in its recovery of gold and copper. Annual throughput rate of the plant has ramped up to 3.5 million tonnes per year, 40 percent above its nameplate capacity. Average annual production is forecasted to be 100,000 ounces of gold and 14,000 tonnes of copper per annum over the life of mine.
“Since the Didipio Mine started its commercial production in April 2013, its high standards in responsible mining operation have been recognized in various local and international awards including the prestigious Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award for two consecutive years during the 62nd and 63rd Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference in Baguio City, Philippines,” Gozar added.
The company was also recognized in the 9th Global CSR Summit and Awards in Malaysia last March when it received Gold award for Best Workplace Practices, Silver for Environmental Excellence, and Bronze for Best Community Program.
“The awards that we have received are testament to the excellence that Filipino miners, both men and women, have exhibited in their work. Our representation of the Philippines in the First ASEAN Mineral Awards will hopefully give us the chance to present to other southeast Asian nations what we do best — turning mineral resource into human resource,” Didipio Mine General Manager David Way said.