Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) provided 193 residents of Cantilan and other surrounding towns in Surigao del Sur with a one-year health insurance from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Barangay officials from the benefitting marginalized towns certified the 193 recipients composed of 112 from Cabangahan, 53 from Bayogo, and 28 from Bon-ot.
The PhilHealth coverage entails an insurance of up to P 2,400 for each of the beneficiaries. This P 463,200-worth project is part of the mining firm’s Social Development and Management Program (SDMP).
In an press release, Rowena S. Lumosad stressed the importance of the program as her household can now allot their hard-earned money to their children’s education instead of it being diverted to medical bills.
“You just never know when you would get sick, as I experienced last year when I was hit with a bacterial infection,” said the 41-year old Lumosad, a mother of four who also have been covered by the program for two years.
MMDC’s SDMPs in-lined in health area are focused on access to health and services, health facilities and even the training of local health professionals to help them ensure the community’s well-being.
Funds from the mining firm’s SDMP are also provided to 33 mining communities aside from the company’s four host and five neighboring barangays.
MMDC’s Surigao del Sur Nickel Project is located within a 4,799-hectare area covering the towns of Carrascal, Cantilan, and Madrid.
