VIA GRAPHIC PLUS — Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) received seven awards through two of its subsidiaries at the Philippines’ first Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) Excellence Awards.
Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) and Taganito Mining Corporation (TMC) were among the companies recognized during the inaugural awards ceremony held on October 27 at Conrad Manila in Pasay City. The ceremony was part of the Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition, organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP).
“We are here to recognize the companies that don’t just talk about responsible mining as a goal, but live it every day through decisions they make, the systems they build, and the standards they uphold,” said COMP Chairman Michael Toledo in his welcome remarks.
TSM awards mining companies that demonstrated excellence in implementing their framework through independently verified assessments. Under the assessment’s five-point scoring scale, ratings of 4.5 to 5.0 qualify for gold tier, while scores of 3.5 to 4.49 qualify for silver tier.
The Cross-Cutting Awards recognize broader organizational excellence in implementing responsible mining principles. Companies were evaluated based on four criteria: overall excellence, leadership in sustainable mining, innovation in sustainability systems, and community trust.
RTNMC received four gold awards, including Excellence in Community Partnership and Shared Development, Safety Leadership and Zero Harm, and Water Stewardship and Watershed Responsibility. RTNMC was the only gold awardee in the Cross-Cutting category, the top award of the night.
Meanwhile, TMC earned a gold award in Excellence in Community Partnership and Shared Development, a silver award in Safety Leadership and Zero Harm, and a silver Cross-Cutting Award.
“The awards show us that the Filipino can and will adopt the highest standards that you can find in the leading mining jurisdictions of the world,” NAC Senior Vice President for Sustainability, Risk Management and Corporate Affairs Jose Bayani Baylon said in his acceptance speech for RTNMC’s gold Cross-Cutting Award, delivered on behalf of NAC President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Antonio G. Zamora.
He also talked about the importance of communicating the industry’s responsible mining practices and achievements to the public.
“Responsible mining exists in the Philippines and that we are one of the best when it comes to adhering to international standards,” he said.
The Philippines, through COMP, adopted TSM in 2017, becoming the first country in Asia to implement the internationally recognized mining sustainability framework.
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