Sarangani town receives P15M assistance from Sagittarius Mines

By ISAGANI PALMA

 MALUNGON, Sarangani (July 23, 2012) – This municipality has received over P15-million worth of assistance for its educational and sustainable alternative programs from Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI).

Nonito Nunez, municipal planning and development coordinator, said the financial assistance of five separate checks worth P15,005,800 were formally turned-over by JoJo Josol, SMI community relations project manager, to Mayor Reynaldo ‘Bong’ Constantino and other top local government officials during the town’s foundation anniversary.

 Nunez said of the five checks, lastly given was amounting to P8,875,800 intended for the purchase of the local government’s Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) equipment that will be used to cover the actual living conditions of locals living all over the 31 barangays of Malungon.

 “The census facilities will gauge the total number of persons living in every household, their sources of income, health condition, sanitation, the level of literacy in form of educational attainment, agricultural produce, income, including the services that the far flung villages have availed from the local government,” Nunez said.

 In a memorandum of agreement, LGU-Malungon, by virtue of Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 148, has expressed its intention to implement the CBMS as an instrument for collecting poverty baseline data and monitoring development within its areas of jurisdiction.

 Nunez said the MOA between SMI and Malungon shall take effect upon the signing of the duly authorized representatives of both parties, and shall be in force for a term of 13 months from the date of affectivity until completion, unless modified or revoked by mutual consent of the parties prior to that date. And also, the parties may extend the terms of the agreement by mutual consent.

 SMI has agreed to develop and implement a social development management program and assist the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to prepare an ancestral domain sustainable development protection plan for villages adjacent to the proposed mining site in Tampakan, South Cotabato. SMI will also develop a resettlement action plan and various other social and livelihood programs in connection with its mining operations.

 In a signed agreement, Josol also ensures that the program is effective and responsive, as the mining company seeks for an updated understanding at the key demographic indicators in Malungon.

 Consequently, SMI, which is a multi-million dollar mining company based in Tampakan, supports the Malungon LGU adopting the CBMS for data collection, as it seeks access to the data collated under the CBMS project for use as baseline data critical for developing the social development management program (SMDP) and any other associated social impact investments and community development programs.

 Nunez said the MOA was stressed in accordance to the mandates that are stipulated under R.A. No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, for LGUs to move the primary responsibility for the provision of basic services and facilities, and the improvement of the quality of life of their constituents by addressing poverty at the local level.

 Earlier, Constantino said the program, through careful evaluation, was approved by the local government unit of Malungon in a cohesive desire to uplift the living condition of its people, specifically the tribal minorities that are living at the far flung villages.

 “I have seen how truthful SMI was in this undertaking and hopefully they would continuously abide to what we have agreed in the memorandum of agreement, particularly to the expectation that encouraged us to sign the agreement. However, I would like to make clear that despite of all this valuable support, it is still the people’s mandate that will be followed at the end.  So hopefully both of us shall pursue well on our obligatory commitments for a job well done,” Constantino said.

 Reports said SMI was expanding its community development and relation activities toward Malungon where the mining company’s major pipelines shall pass.

 SMI representatives said if once developed, the Tampakan Project has the potential to make a significant contribution to the economic prosperity of the Philippines and would provide better future for the people of southern Mindanao. For more news and updates, please visit the <a href= http://www.sarangani.gov.ph/ > Province of Sarangani </a>. (Isagani Palma/MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE)