Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) toured the mine site of Dinapigue Mining Corporation (DMC) on May 19, 2022 to witness first-hand the company’s responsible mining practices.

The delegation was headed by DENR Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn C. Bambalan and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region II Director Mario A. Ancheta along with other officials and representatives from DENR, MGB and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

After they were given a brief safety induction by DMC Safety Manager Annabel Escalante, they first visited the Pacific View Park, an area with a scenic view of the Pacific Ocean, where the company holds commemorative tree planting for visitors followed by a tour of Mine Area 5 where they witnessed first-hand the company’s responsible mining practices.

Director Ancheta expressed his awe at the picturesque scene witnessed at Pacific View Park and appreciated the landscaping of the area which was previously a mined out location.

At the Causeway Area, they observed how the company loads its ore onto barges and vessels.

They were then escorted to the Agro Farm, where the company conducts its Agro-forestry and Hydroponics program. The soil in mining areas is normally not tenable to crops that is why companies often must resort to soil amelioration to supplement it with nutrients that can make crops thrive.

DMC IP scholar Donalyn Galope led the tour of the Agro Farm and discussed the methods through which the company improves the soil (such as vermicomposting), the types of crops which grow at the farm, and the hydroponics program which she pioneered and studied at her time in Isabela State University.

“The company’s agro-forestry program is interesting and I really appreciate how DMC is able to reconcile the practice of mining with environmental conservation efforts at the same time,” said Regional Executive Director Bambalan.

As a treat for the DENR guests, the company allowed them to pick out fresh vegetables from the farm to take home as souvenirs.

Towards the end of the tour, the visitors witnessed more of the company’s best environmental practices when they visited the company’s two nurseries where the Envi Department grows and keeps seedlings for future progressive rehabilitation of mining areas and use in the National Greening Program and the company’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where the company’s solid waste is stored and segregated for either recycling or proper disposal.