For its commitment in providing social health insurance coverage to its employees, Taganito Mining Corporation (TMC), an affiliate of Nickel Asia Corporation, was recognized as top remitting and top reporting private employer by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

From 2013 to 2017, TMC remitted to PhilHealth a total of Php 22,437,575. The mining company’s contribution of P9.9 million in remittances was recorded from 2016 to 2017, the period covered for the award.

Rodrigo D. Ariar, PhilHealth’s Chief Social Insurance Officer for Surigao del Norte, lauded TMC’s performance as a company.

Ariar acknowledged the importance of broadcasting the performance of TMC to enjoin other private corporate citizens in the region to emulate the mining company’s commitment to providing social health insurance coverage to its employees and to all Filipinos.

“We hope that other companies in the area will emulate TMC’s best practices so that collectively we will achieve a sustainable NHIP for all,” Ariar announced.

PhilHealth also recognized TMC’s Ace Vergel Moreno as top PhilHealth Employer Engagement Representative (PEER) in Surigao del Norte.

The recognition was given to TMC on the occasion of PhilHealth’s 23rd anniversary last month.

PhilHealth officials, led by its OIC-Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ruben John A. Basa, recently consulted its stakeholders on new programs and measures, including proposed adjustment in premium contribution rates, necessary to sustain the viability of the country’s National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).

Its aggressive campaign to get the needed support of all its members to sustain the NHIP includes trumpeting its top remitters and top reporting private employers to encourage other companies.

Philhealth cannot reiterate enough the importance of remitting the premium contributions of employees, including their counterpart shares correctly, on time, and accurately, as well as to report these remittances immediately so that the appropriate posting of contributions can readily be undertaken.

By regularly remitting and fulfilling its obligations on time, TMC is able to support PhilHealth’s thrust to “ensure affordable, acceptable, available and accessible health care services.”

Gerry E. Besinga, HR Manager for TMC said that a critical part of being referred to as a responsible miner is the company’s strict compliance with government regulations, including PhilHealth remittances.

“It shows our commitment to the law and to all of our stakeholders, especially our commitment to the well-being of our employees.”

Besinga also emphasized that the government needs money from taxes.

“TMC is diligently contributing to nation building and that is how we brand ourselves as a responsible miner, as being a responsible taxpayer,” Besinga declared.

Aside from its compliance to PhilHealth remittances, TMC also demonstrates the same commitment to its economic obligations in the form of taxes.

From 2012-2016, TMC has paid over Php 3.5 billion in corporate income tax, over Php 400 million in excise tax and over Php 1.2 billion in royalties for the government.

In 2014, TMC was recognized by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for its more than Php 1 Billion tax payments (with more than 20% growth rate for the year) and for its exemplary performance in complying with administrative and reportorial requirements hence earning the company the “Billionaires’ Club Award.”

Most recently, TMC was awarded the Transparency Award for Company Category on May 11, 2017, by the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes transparency of revenues.

TMC paid Php 36.6 million for Claver taxes last January 20, 2017, for renewal of business permits.