BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY, TAGUIG – Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. (RTN), a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), hosted 45 young students from Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities in Bataraza, Palawan, for qualifying exams for RTN’s educational assistance program under its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP).
The SDMP is a comprehensive plan for mining companies to contribute to host and neighboring community development. Communities decide SDMP allocation through consultations to align programs with their needs.
Bobit Alihan, Community Development Coordinator for RTN, says IP communities prioritize their children’s education, with tribes collectively deciding to allocate most SDMP funds toward education.
“When in olden days, education was not always a key priority, they have now accepted that the IP youth will have a better chance to a successful and sustainable future if they have education,” Alihan explained.
As a NAC subsidiary, RTN implements its Sustainability Roadmap with goals including establishing sustainable communities in operational areas and empowering Indigenous Cultural Communities to become self-reliant, particularly preparing for life after the mine.
RTN Resident Mine Manager Engr. Ronel Suguitan says the IP community is critical to achieving a sustainable future, which is why RTN prioritizes developing and protecting indigenous peoples’ well-being in Bataraza.
Bataraza IP communities receive RTN SDMP funds based on the Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942) provisions, plus IP royalties under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA law).
In 2024 alone, Bataraza IP communities received PHP 21.2 million from RTN’s SDMP and CSR funds, excluding royalty rights funds
