P58M spent for Padcal’s 2013 social projects, IEC, research
P58M spent for Padcal’s 2013 social projects, IEC, research
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Inclement weather, boundary dispute resulted to delayed projects in 2012
Philex Mining Corp. spent a total of P58.2 million out of the P74.04-million budget set aside for Padcal operations• social projects, information campaign, and research to further develop the mining industry that had been approved by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
The projects created under Padcal•s Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) alone amounted to P46.1 million while the Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign reached P6.1 million and the research, done through the Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences (DMTG), was put at P6 million.
In a report, the Community Relations (ComRel) Department at Padcal said that livelihood got the lion•s share of the total SDMP spend at P27.2 million, followed by education at P14.8 million and health at P4.1 million. It stressed that spending on public infrastructure had been included in the respective projects in livelihood, education, and health.
The implementation of the 2013 SDMP began in June, following the tailings-leak accident on Aug. 1, 2012 in Padcal, the 140-page report titled •2013 Annual Social Development and Management Program: Accomplishment Report• said, adding that Padcal completed 82.23 percent of its calendared projects under SDMP.
Most of the 2012 backlogs were completed and some are still ongoing,• the report stressed. •Several factors that contributed to the delayed implementation of these projects were inclement weather, issues on boundary dispute of proposed project sites and late submission of required documents…. Nonetheless, almost all of these were already resolved. Carry-over of 2013 shall be included in the 2014 SDMP.•
The bulk of the money spent for SDMP went to infra support projects for livelihood, education, and health that amounted to P28.7 million, P24.7 million of which was for livelihood, P2.9 million for education, and P1.1 million for health.
These projects included the construction and/or widening of farm-to-market roads, as well as the creation and/or widening of canals for irrigation systems and drainage; building and/or repairs of schoolroom and other educational structures; and the building and/or improvements of health centers.
In a separate report on IEC and DMTG, ComRel Manager Feliciano Diso, Jr. said Padcal spent P10.59 million, or 64.36 percent of the allotted budget of P16.45 million. He added that the remaining IEC budget of P4.9 million has been allocated for the construction of mine information center, and internal monitoring activities while the P983,305 involving DMTG is for the scholarship and on-the-job training programs for students and professionals in the host and neighboring communities.
In continuously promoting the mining industry, programs and projects and activities were undertaken,• said the 21-page report titled •2013 Accomplished Information, Education & Communication / Development and Mining Technology and Geosciences Program.•
These projects and activities included public and community consultations, information drive and mining campaigns to communities and schools, as well as the dissemination of the company•s various environmental and social programs to the various media organizations.
Last year, Philex Mining said its actual allocation for the 2013 social projects, IEC, and DMTG at Padcal was P65.79 million. This had reached P74.04 million, however, including the P8.25 million that was carried over from 2012. The P65.79 budget was more than the MGB-required 1.5 percent of the total operating cost of P4.38 billion for 2012.