Giving Back to Society

“This is why CMDC gives great importance to social responsibility and community relationships. We do not only take care of our core stakeholders such as customers, employees and owners, we equally believe that our businesses should give back to society as well,” she says.

“We prioritize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes which not only help society but also help to look after their welfare in terms of medical needs, health care, education and livelihood programmes.”

Social development and sustainability are among CMDC’s goals and pillars. Along with the company’s economic contributions through revenues, employment and the multipliers it generates, sustainability is the core value that is translated through the company’s CSR programmes.

Centred on health, education, livelihood, socio-cultural and infrastructure, they include: 

1. Providing a 38-million pesos (PHP38,000,000) level three water system project delivering potable water system to eighteen barangays (community or village) in the municipality of Narra, province of Palawan.
2. Construction of farm to market roads and road concreting projects.
3. Renewable energy using solar power and lights.
4. Providing ambulance, fire trucks, and other transport vehicles to communities.
5. Giving educational assistance and scholarship to thousands of university students.
6. Donating 20,000 sacks of 50kgs rice as aid to different municipalities in Palawan every year.
7. Donating millions worth of  vitamins and supplements and other Covid-related health and safety products to different local government units during the pandemic.
8. Construction of computer laboratories, covered courts, birthing homes, barangay outposts, barangay roads, health station, day care centres, tribal halls, upgrading of school classrooms, multi-purpose halls, chapels, among others.
9. Holding livelihood programmes and workshops such as livestock raising, weaving, mud crab fattening.
10. Sponsorship of local festivals promoting socio-cultural traditions.

Other CSR and environmental efforts include conducting regular river clean-up to prevent river rise during heavy rains, conducting tree-planting of thousands of trees, ensuring bio diversity and wildlife habitat conservation and all-round forest and mine rehabilitation. 

Creation of Jobs and Livelihood

CMDC employs up to 2000 workers, many of whom are Bachelor of Science graduates and professionals as well as skilled workers such as mechanical and electrical engineers, mining and safety engineers, licensed foresters, chemists, nurses and accountants.

Given the many job opportunities CMDC provides and the multiplying effect that each job creates for the larger community, no wonder Caroline says her employees view CMDC as their source of strength and security.

Not only does responsible mining improve the standard of living for the community, nickel production also helps the Philippines push for economic progress and global competitiveness.