Social Investment

We invest in the communities that host our operations and align our focus with community-identified needs and priorities.

 

Investing in our communities and aligning our focus with community-identified needs and priorities is one way we are working to making a positive and lasting contribution.

To achieve this, we are conscious of the need to deliver respectful social investment plans that are created in consultation with the communities we live and work in. This ensures our programs align with each community’s needs and priorities and supports social and economic development in a manner that avoids dependencies over the long-term.

Primarily, our social investment programs contribute to:

• Education, training, and employment;

• Community health;

• Local business support and/or development; and

• Community infrastructure.

Since 2021, there are four formalized funding mechanisms for community development projects. One is mandated by legislation, two are part of our renewal agreement with the government and one is agreed with the community as part of our prior project approval. These are the Social Development Management Plan (SDMP), Community Development Fund (CDF), Provincial Development Fund (PDF) and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). 

A positive contribution can be made in many ways. One way we try to add value is through Sponsorships and Donations, either monetary or in-kind and is part of our Company Disclosures (CSR).  We have a specific Sponsorship and Donation program to support the surrounding communities, developed through a participative process that reflects the key needs of the local context.

Funding requests for specific activities within the local communities can be applied for in writing, using the stated process at each operation. The application is then measured against key criteria to monitor sustainable actions and move away from creating dependencies. A stringent due diligence process is also incorporated to promote transparency and uphold our organisational values.

Social Development Management Program (SDMP)

Didipio Mine spent almost one billion pesos (Php1B) from 2013 to 2023, focusing on infrastructure, education, health, human resource development, enterprise development/livelihood, and socio-cultural values in the host and adjacent barangays, reaching 17,000 individuals.

A requirement of the government of the Philippines for mining contractors is to allocate 1.5% of the total operating cost to the host and neighbouring communities of the mine. Based on DENR Administrative Order 2010-21, 75% of the 1.5% will be spend for the Development of Host and Neighbouring Communities (DHNC), 15% is allocated for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and the 10% will be for the Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences (DMTG).

 

For Didipio Mine, Barangay Didipio of Kasibu is the only host community while there are 10 adjacent barangays namely,  Alimit, Belet, Binogawan, Camamasi, Capisaan, Tukod and Wangal in the Municipality of Kasibu while there are other three neighboring barangays from the Municipality of Cabarroguis namely, Dibibi, Dingasan and Tucod, all are called the downstream barangays. Both Kasibu and Cabarroguis are host municipalities while Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino are the host provinces.

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUND AND PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

One of the conditions for the FTAA renewal is an additional 1.5 per cent of gross revenue to be allocated to community development projects. This will take the form of increased contributions to communities in the region and provincial development projects.

While the existing fund for Social Development and Management Program will continue to be provided for the host and neighbouring communities, 1.0 per cent of the additional 1.5 per cent will be allocated to development of communities outside the host and neighboring barangays and 0.5 per cent to the host Provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

 

Community Development Fund

The Community Development Fund will cover the 1.0% of the additional projects and delivered in collaboration with local entities, emphasizing widespread participation, aiming for broad benefits and effective partnerships. 

Project proposals developed by barangay local government will need to align with the mine’s seven pillars of benefit-sharing (Infrastructure, Enterprise Development, Socio-cultural or IP Program, Capacity Building, Disaster Response/Management and Environment, Health, and Education).

 

A multistakeholder representation, including the Didipio Mine, forms the technical work group (TWG) to screen the proposals coming from the identified communities and will be approved by the steering committee. 

 

As of 2023, 26 projects of a total of 57 identified infrastructure projects were completed, while the remaining projects are all ongoing. Aside from infrastructure projects, there are two (2) scholarship programs – the CDF IP Scholarship Program with 75 IP youth scholars, and the CDF Community Scholarship Program with 75 youth scholars.

From 2021 to 2024 the Didipio Mine is expected to spend a total of Php411 Million.

 

Provincial Development Fund

The Provincial Community Development Fund, which is the remaining 0.5%, prioritizes substantial and lasting improvements by consulting local government units to align projects with provincial development plans and community needs.

 

 

Company Disclosures

In the Didipio Mine, we have CSR projects that are results of community consultations that are formalized through various memoranda of agreements (MOA) with communities, local government units (LGUs), and non-government organizations (NGOs) within our host and neighboring communities.

Some of these projects include:

• Didipio Water System 

• Construction of Didipio Sports Complex

• Didipio Administration Building

• Dinauyan Bypass Road

• Dibibi-Tucod-Didipio Road Concreting

• Didipio-Capisaan Road Concreting

• Construction of a three-story building for the Eastern Nueva Vizcaya National High School

• Greening Program in partnership with Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Isabela Provinces – Php 5.8 million pesos for 2022-2023.

• Donation of man lift or aerial lift machine to Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO).

• IP Revitalization Program - training on gong beating and native dance

• The Mun-abol Project – reactivation of the weaving industry of Brgy. Capisaan, Kasibu in partnership with Alayan Pag-asa Abot-Palad Association, DTI-Nueva Vizcaya, the Municipality of Kasibu, and Barangay Local Government Unit of Capisaan.

• Golden Future for Agriculture (Coffee Project) in partnership with Kasibu Coffee Growers Association, Inc.

• Ambulance Donation to the Municipality of Kasibu

• Scholarship Program with 74 beneficiaries.

 

PARTNERSHIPS

Partnerships play a key role in supporting sustainable development by integrating the core values from both parties to work towards a common goal.

At Didipio Mine we are committed to making a positive contribution to the communities who host our business activities, while ensuring we are leaving a positive legacy every day. We achieve this by forging innovative and sustainable partnerships with our local suppliers, governments, community groups, industry leaders, education providers, technology partners and NGOs.

In 2019, OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc implemented an increased participative approach into engagement practices, resulting in opportunities to partner with various stakeholder groups across the globe.

We seek partnership opportunities wherever possible. An example is the creation of DiCorp, one of our most successful enterprise developments where a community-owned corporation generates revenue for the area through long-term contracts with the Didipio Mine. DiCorp has progressively grown over the years, becoming one of the largest businesses in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, and providing services external to our operation. The services it provides to OceanaGold includes camp administration and catering, transport and trucking, sales and distribution, engineering and projects, wholesale and retailing, waste management, and infrastructure development. Our continued partnership is focused on DiCorp’s capability development, to support their sustainability, even after the life of mine.

Some other key activities include:

• Partnering with the Department of Agriculture and the Golden Future of Agriculture to support Kasibu coffee farmers. In addition, we engaged 34 local farmers to promote organic farming and another 92 local farmers to improve market opportunities for coffee production.

• Forming partnerships with schools and universities to provide 246 local scholarships.

• Partnership with Ifugao Intangible Heritage and Performing Arts Society for the Culture Revitalization Program which aims to provide opportunities to the local Indigenous Peoples (IP) youth to learn more about the Ifugao culture and arts such as gong-beating (Gangsa), ethnic dance (Tayaw), and songs.

• Strengthening the weaving industry of Barangay Capisaan through the Mun-Abol Project in partnership with the Alayan Women Weavers of Alayan Abot-Palad Association, the Municipality of Kasibu, the barangay local government unit of Capisaan, and the Department of Trade and Industry – Nueva Vizcaya.

In 2015, Didipio Mine invested US$1.4 million in a Site Skills facility in Clark, Pampanga, to provide internationally recognised underground mining training to residents of our host and adjacent communities. Graduates received an International Certificate II in Underground Metalliferous Mining Work Readiness Course, with many students graduating from the course and taking on roles with the Didipio Mine.

In 2023, we recommenced our partnership with Site Skills in training local community residents to become world class underground mine workers.