IMPROVED MOBILITY. Cagdianao Mining Corporation (CMC) officers led by Engr. Arnilo Milaor (3rd from left), resident mine manager, turns over a service truck to the Cagdianao municipal government represented by municipal administrator Marc Adelson Longos (3rd from right), on April 3, 2020. CMC also donated an ambulance to help the local government improve its mobility and logistics in responding to the coronavirus disease crisis. (Contributed photo)
CAGDIANAO, Dinagat Islands -- To help contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Cagdianao Mining Corporation (CMC) has so far released over PHP4.1 million for food and protective personal equipment, including an ambulance unit and a service truck to the local government here.
In a report to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Caraga Region covering mid-March to May 26 this year, CMC said it has so far disbursed over PHP2.9 million from its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) and around PHP1.3 million from its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund.
CMC said the money was spent mostly on food supplies for residents, medical front-liners, and law enforcement agencies involved in Covid-19 containment measures, totaling PHP1,422,172. The company said its relief operations have so far benefited 1,300 households.
To further ensure food security among its host and neighboring communities, CMC also distributed PHP287,198 worth of survival garden kits to 1,300 families. The company said it has allocated a total of PHP500,000 for this initiative.
To improve the local government's emergency response and speed up relief operations to families affected by Covid-19 lockdown, CMC also provided the municipal government here an ambulance unit and a service truck worth over PHP1.2 million.
Municipal Administrator Marc Adelson Longos, who received the ambulance and the service truck on April, said the equipment would drastically improve the local government's logistics and emergency capacity.
"Especially during the time of Covid-19, the donations from CMC would really help us bring our relief goods faster to our residents, as well as provide crucial transport for our front-liners," Longos said.
Provincial and municipal front-liners also received from CMC PHP956,700 worth of personal protective equipment, face masks, sanitizing kits, disinfection equipment, and other health supplies.
In addition, the company also allocated PHP100,000 as a subsidy for two nurses and two midwives who are tasked with responding to the health concerns of its host and neighboring communities.
Likewise, PHP200,000 has also been allocated to employ barangay health workers who are currently conducting household assessments for Covid-19 symptoms to some 1,300 households.
"Our assistance to the communities is considered a lifeline of the residents. We continue to maintain employment of the locals from four host and neighboring barangays and government need not worry about their daily sustenance," said Engr. Arnilo Milaor, CMC resident mine manager.
"We provide health care and information drive to educate locals about this virus thru our medical team, we make sure that members of the community with 1,300 households have a supply of rice. We also provide regular sanitation to our communities, as well as PPE to the front-liners from the provincial health personnel down to the barangay level, among others," Milaor added.
Milaor said CMC has also allocated PHP1 million as its counterpart for the establishment of a molecular diagnostic laboratory in Caraga Region, in coordination with the other affiliate-companies of Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC).
CMC, which mines nickel in Barangay Valencia here, is an affiliate of NAC, the country's biggest nickel supplier. (PNA/PR)
