Aiming to boost food security and the livelihood of local fishermen in the town of Claver, Surigao del Norte, a local fish cage project supported by Taganito Mining Corporation (TMC) successfully had its first harvest of milkfish or bangus
last October 18 and 25, 2018.
Over 3,000 kilos of live bangus was harvested from the 450-square meter fish cage awarded to the 21-strong Gagmay’ng Mananagat sa Wangke (GAMAWA) which is supported by TMC, an affiliate of Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), through its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP).
The harvest was witnessed by local government unit representatives from the municipal and barangay levels headed by Claver Municipal Mayor Eddie P. Gokiangkee and Sanggunian Bayan members and barangay captains including Jose Starlito Nemenzo of barangay Wangke.
NAC and TMC officers led by Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jose B. Anievas, Vice President for Operations Aloysius C. Diaz and Rommel Cruz, NAC Assistant Vice President for ComRel and Environment Rogel C. Cabauatan, TMC Resident Mine Manager Artemio E. Valeroso, TMC Community Relations Manager Roel T. Paniza also came to the event.
Line agency representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also joined the GAMAWA members headed by their president, Antonio Ocon.
Mayor Gokiangkee, who was one of the first to arrive in the venue, expressed his eagerness to witness the harvest and see for himself the effectiveness of TMC’s SDMP project.
Gokiangkee said that the project addresses the problem on high market price of fish which is one of the complaints of consumers.
Mapasalamaton kita sa Taganito Mining ug sa NAC sa mga programa sa SDMP which is nakatabang sa ato ekonomiya sa Claver…so thank you very much Taganito Mining (We are thankful to Taganito Mining and NAC for their SDMP programs which has helped the economy of Claver…so thank you very much Taganito Mining)
TMC Resident Mine Manager Engr. Valeroso on the other hand, shared the company’s commitment to provide livelihood opportunities to its host and neighboring communities aside from the employment generated from the mines.
Valeroso added that though the organization’s name implies smallness in size (gagmay is tiny in English), he envisions to expand the scale of the project which now also ventures in tourism.
VP Diaz also shared the company’s vision that the farmers and fisher folks will not be left behind in the economic development of Claver which is why TMC looks into programs that can alleviate their income above the poverty line.
“Dako nako na pasalamat na gihatagan mi ani na project sa TMC...dako gyud sila na supporta sa amo mga myembro sa Gagmay'ng Mananagat sa Wangke. Daghan ni natabangan na panginabuhian sa amo labin na sa among mga mananagat na nagkahiusa sab mi (I am greatly thankful that TMC gave us this project…they are a big support to us members of GAMAWA. It helped many of us in terms of livelihood and it also united us, fishermen),” said Ocon, GAMAWA president.