Caraga mining firms spend P73.5M for COVID-19 response
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte - Member-companies of the Chamber of Mines of Caraga Region Incorporated (CMCRI) have already spent a total of P73.567 million in their respective mining communities and surrounding areas to help the government ease the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. CMCRI is composed of large-scale mining firms and mineral processing companies that either have active operations in Caraga region or are in ‘care and maintenance’ status.
spread in the region’s five provinces immediately heeded to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has earlier signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act [Republic Act No. 11469] to boost the government’s response to Based on the consolidated the pandemic. reports received by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Region 13 Of the total cash aid as of May 13, (MGB-13), a total of 14 mining and CMCRI member-companies released mineral processing companies under the following amount per province: CMCRI have readily responded to the Agusan Sur - P5.19M; Agusan Nortecall of the national government to P4.001M; Surigao Sur - P9.043M; Surigao help affected communities that are Norte - P52.388M; Dinagat Islands struggling following the imposition of P2.945M. lockdowns or quarantine measures. CMRI emphasized that the running These containment measures figures are still subject for auditing and restrict the movement of people and validation of MGB-13. temporarily shuttered businesses, prompting the government to ration Further, the region’s premier food and other essential services to mining organization has also committed residents, even as it called on the to spend some P105.903 million based private sector to help. on the realigned budgets mandated by MGB for COVID-19 assistance and CMCRI member-companies other relevant purposes. (CMCRI)
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| May 23-29, 2020