Youth leaders from the municipality of Dinapigue, Isabela recently held a meeting with Dinapigue Mining Corporation (DMC), a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), to raise local concerns and explore opportunities for sustainability initiatives.
Representatives of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) from all six barangays of Dinapigue met with DMC’s top management to discuss a range of issues. These included youth literacy, indigenous education, and plastic waste management. The engagement aimed to align local efforts with national development priorities as well as several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as access to education, reduced inequality, and building sustainable communities.
“It is critical that the communities we work with are onboard our sustainability efforts and are part of the journey as we endeavor to achieve our sustainability goals,” said DMC Resident Mine Manager Engr. Edwin Casiano.
Among the concerns raised during the session was the need for more reading materials and programs to improve literacy among the youth. Barangay Bucal Sur SK Chairman Roger Corpuz, who also works as a mine production coordinator at DMC, emphasized this need on behalf of his community.
The dialogue also highlighted the educational challenges faced by indigenous peoples (IP) in the area. Donalyn Galope, a newly licensed agriculturist from the Agta tribe and a DMC scholar, shared that encouraging IP families, especially young women, to pursue higher education remains an uphill battle. She called for stronger support mechanisms to promote learning opportunities.
Solid waste management was another priority, particularly on the rising concern around plastic pollution. “We’ve seen on Facebook the recent flood of trash in Manila and understand the problems that plastics can bring to communities. That’s why with DMC’s help, we want to turn our plastic wastes into something of value,” said Barangay Dibulo SK Chairman Marcelo Candelario.
In response, DMC said it plans to collaborate with the Municipality of Dinapigue to develop a recycling and upcycling plant to convert plastic waste into usable products. The company also shared its intention to establish an Indigenous Learning System to complement its existing scholarship programs under its Social Development Management Program (SDMP) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
“The mutual commitment forged between DMC and the whole of the Dinapigue Sangguniang Kabataan to address sustainability issues is half the battle already won. We look forward to more collaborations like this with the community because at the end of the day, sustainability is a shared interest,” said DMC Community Relations Manager Rosaldo Buscaino.
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