Acknowledging the importance of reliable transportation during emergency, especially at this time of Covid-19 pandemic, Cagdianao Mining Corp. (CMC) acquired emergency-response vehicles for the use of the communities.

CMC, an affiliate of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), purchased vehicles worth P19.8M and an ambulance unit worth P3.7M to improve the mining company’s emergency response and logistics capability in serving the communities.

The ambulance unit proves a great help during health crises such as the most recent surge of diarrhea cases in the community alarming the local government unit (LGU), more so because of the ongoing Covid-19 response challenges.

Dr. Alvin Pura, CMC Physician, said the brand new ambulance that transports patients to and from the district hospitals in Dinagat Islands “is an added peace of mind for the residents.”

“One critical aspect in a health crisis is an efficient transport system that will move patients as efficiently as possible for them to get immediate medical attention,” he added.

He explained that barangay health workers would first refer patients to the CMC clinic and if needing major administration, they will then be ferried to nearest hospitals.

Teodoro Alipayo, who is in-charge of the Incident Command Post of the Municipality of Cagdianao, noted that CMC’s response vehicles serve not just the emergency calls from the residents but also attend to locally stranded individuals who need to be picked up from the San Jose port and to be transported to their respective quarantine areas.

Engr. Arnilo C. Milaor, CMC Resident Mine Manager, underscored the importance of having available and efficient emergency-response vehicles that the communities can rely on.

“These vehicles help save lives because these vehicles allow us to immediately respond to emergency situations and assist us in our goal of always protecting the residents of our host communities,” said Milaor.

Part of CMC’s emergency-response fleet are two units of 40-seater mini buses which costs P9.8-million that can ferry employees and community residents to any point in Dinagat Islands.

These mini-buses regularly transport personnel going to work and when returning from their field break. Barangay officials also use these buses for government-related events and activities around the island.

Another essential transport at CMC is the “CMC Seaborne Barracuda,” a P10-Million watercraft which ferries CMC personnel to and from ports of destinations in Dinagat Islands and Surigao City.

Once the company completes the required permits from the Maritime Administration Authority (MARINA), the Seaborne Barracuda can travel to other provinces for both operational and emergency purposes.

These vehicles prove vital to CMC’s operations, at the same time contributing to the improvement of the healthcare system in the province.

Franklin Jardeleza, CMC Admin Manager, reported that currently, the emergency-response vehicles are being heavily utilized to respond to the LGU’s request on emergency cases such as bringing patients to the nearest district hospital.