Social Development & Management Program

On Being a Good Neighbor 

HMDC's Social Development & Management Program 

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The fact is that mining brings about changes – to people’s lives, to the environment, to communities, to economies. And it is up to mining companies to make such changes positive. HMDC recognizes both its responsibility and capability to bring about positive changes in the community they belong to. The company remains true to their vision: to provide foundations for a sustainable future. 

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SDMP 

HMDC’s Social Development and Management Program is our commitment to build and maintain strong relations with the community. We listen to and work with the people in our impact communities and their leaders to identify pressing issues and to come up with solutions. Providing for basic needs, such as equipment and funding for projects in the health and education sectors, only goes so far. 

The goal of the company’s SDMP projects is to help people in its impact communities understand the concept and importance of sustainability and encourage them to be self-reliant in the future. 

SCOPE OF THE SDMP 

The SDMP projects and activities are implemented in six barangays in three municipalities in La Union and nine barangays in Agno, Pangasinan. 

• LA UNION 

Our host (primary impact) communities are the barangays of Quirino in Bacnotan and the barangays of Paraoir and Almeida in Balaoan. The neighboring communities which are also part of our SDMP are Bacnotan barangays of Ballogo, Galongen, Mabanengbeng 1 and 2, Maragayap, Nangalisan, Paagan and Ubbog, Darigayos and Pitpitac in Luna complete the 13 communities in La Union supported by HMDC’s SDMP projects. 

 Barangay Carisquis in Luna, La Union used to receive grants from HPI and, recently, from HMDC as it is one of its neighboring barangays. However, in January 08, 2017, the barangay has decided to waive their rights to SDMP through Barangay Resolution #1 Series of 2017. 

• AGNO, PANGASINAN 

The host (primary impact) communities in Agno are the barangays of Namatucan and Allabon. Aloleng, Baruan, Dangley, Gayusan, Magsaysay, San Juan, and Tupa are the nearby barangays included in our list of SDMP’s secondary impact communities. 

ACTIVITIES IN THE SDMP FRAMEWORK

• Infrastructure Projects - Improvement of barangay facilities, farm-to-market roads, bridges, etc. 
• Socio-Economic Projects - Livelihood and skills training, cooperative developments, provisions for seed capital. 
• Education - Scholarship grants and programs, adopt-a-school programs, early child-care programs. 
• Health - Improvement of barangay clinic facilities, donation of medicines and continuation of the Community Based Health Program. Socio-Cultural Projects - Participation and contribution in community cultural activities. 

THE SDMP PLANNING WORKSHOP 

In compliance with government regulations, an annual planning workshop for SDMP projects is scheduled with the communities involved. The workshop provides an opportunity to evaluate previous projects and determine their success and for new ones to be presented and assessed to ascertain their viability and sustainability. 

As it has been in the past, HMDC takes backseat in the introduction of new projects and instead encourages, enable and empower community leaders and representatives to take the lead in identifying and proposing projects for implementation in their respective barangays. 

The Annual SDMP workshops for proposed projects in Agno and La Union for 2018 took place as follows: 

AGNO 

October 23, 2017 at the Island Tropic Hotel & Restaurant, Alaminos, Pangasinan.

LA UNION 

November 28, 2017 at Dencio’s Restaurant, San Fernando City, La Union for Barangays Paraoir and Almeida in Balaoan and Barangays Darigayos and Pitpitac in Luna. 

December 29, 2017 for Barangay Paagan and January 30, 2018 for Barangay Quirino, Bacnotan. 

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SDMP

The main strategy in implementing SDMP projects is to partner and coordinate with the involved stakeholders. A Technical Working Group, composed of community leaders from the host and neighboring communities, is created to make sure that the projects are properly supervised and documented and that the goals are realized. 

BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS, ALLOCATION OF SDMP 

The budget of the SDMP is derived from the total operating cost of the year. No less than 1.5% is allocated for all projects in all impact communities. The amount will be subdivided accordingly: 

• 75% is allocated to actual projects in the communities (Infrastructure, Health, Education, etc.) 
• 15% is earmarked for Information, Education and Communication 
• 10% is allotted for the Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences (DMTG) 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

An internal and external audit team monitor and evaluate HMDC’s activities, in accordance with the guidelines and procedures set by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. The Internal Group is composed of HMDC – La Union personnel authorized by the company’s top management. Reporting by this group is done quarterly and verified by a representative from DENR – MGB’s regional office. 

The External Group is more diverse with representatives from the DENR – MGB, the LGU, various NGOs and community leaders from the impact communities. The group conducts its audit twice a year and submits the results along with their recommendations to HMDC and other stakeholders for information and appropriate action. 

The Annual SDMP framework is evaluated based on the actual assessment and its impact to the beneficiaries. The success of the projects is primarily measured in terms of its sustainability and how it helped improve the quality of life of its beneficiaries.

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THE PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

A housewife who was given an opportunity to add to her husband’s income; a father whose children now have
a much easier time going to school than he did as a child, thanks to a paved access road; a young girl who realized her dream of becoming an engineer; a mother who sleeps better at night knowing that a seawall protects her home from the tides or that a nebulizer is at hand at the Barangay Health Center for her asthmatic baby; a young educator who wants to give back to the community that nurtured him; a farmer who now owns a cow that can help him in his farm…
for HMDC, their Social Development & Management Program is all about them.

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Annual Accomplishments:
July, 2017 to June, 2018

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After gaining the MGB’s approval of the turnover of the MPSA from HPI to the company in 2016 along with the approval and certification of its own Social Development and Management Program the following year, this is the second year that HMDC - La Union has taken over the responsibility of developing and drafting its own SDMP and implementing the projects under it. Projects that were proposed and approved before 2016 were carried over and implemented as well. 

And this year, in keeping with the principle of empowering communities, other than a summary of the accomplishments under the SDMP and since the projects were conceptualized and proposed by them, the accomplishment reports were also drafted and submitted by the beneficiaries themselves. This is to give the company’s impact and other beneficiary communities a sense of ownership of the projects.

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SYNOPSES OF HMDC - LA UNION OPERATION’S
SDMP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Health 

Most of the health projects implemented from July, 2017 to June of this year centered around the provision of medical equipment and other provisions like medicines to the company’s various impact communities. In addition, the HMDC was also able to help improve the health center of Darigayos in Luna with the donation of construction materials. Other projects included an anti-rabies vaccination program, “Pabasa” which was a program aimed at encouraging and educating lactating mothers to breastfeed, a feeding program and the building of an herbary in Barangay Paraoir in Balaoan, La Union which was also the recipient of various disaster response materials. 

Education

Responding to specific proposals from the educational institutions themselves, HMDC helped accomplish projects such as the construction of a Day Care Center in Dangley, Agno, Pangasinan and the improvement of the ones in Darigayos (Luna), Paraoir (Balaoan), both in La Union. Other projects included the construction of a perimeter fence for security and a handwashing facility to encourage better hygiene, and the repair and donation of multimedia equipment to various schools. 

Livelihood

Farmers significantly improved their livelihood efforts through HMDC’s support which included the donation of irrigation equipment and fertilizers. The fishermen of Barangay Paraoir (Balaoan), in turn requested for and received fishing nets and other materials. 

Infrastructure

Proposed construction projects for infrastructure more commonly involves either the construction of new or the enhancement of existing barangay LGU’s facilities, as in the case in Barangay Maragayap in Bacnotan, La Union where the multi-purpose hall was improved, or in Barangay Pitpitac where an extension was added to their existing barangay hall. Part of this year’s accomplishments in this area is the concreting of barangay roads in Bgy. Namatucan and Bgy. Tupa, both in Agno, Pangasinan. 

Information, Education & Communication (IEC) 

HMDC produced wall and desk calendars which were distributed to the various communities and institutions. The 2018 calendar, entitled “Larawan ng Kinabukasang Panatag at Puno ng Pag-asa,” told the struggles, dreams and aspirations of people from the company’s impact communities as well as those of its partners and employees. It aimed to illustrate how a collaborative effort between communities and the public sector can result in a better quality of life, a safer and more robust environment, and most of all – a future filled with hope. 

Aside from the installation of signage in strategic locations within their impact communities that informed constituents of the SDMP projects that were implemented in their respective communities, HMDC also spearheaded a responsible mining forum for mining students in Baguio and an IEC workshop entitled “Forwarding Environmental and Social Responsibility” for members of I-Mine. 

Development of Mining Technology & Geosciences (DMTG)

As in previous years, HMDC provided opportunities for on-the-job-training for mining engineering and geology students from various schools where aside from receiving allowances, participants were given ample exposure to responsible mining operations, practices and principles. 

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SYNOPSES OF REPORTS
SUBMITTED BY IMPACT COMMUNITIES
AND OTHER BENEFICIARIES

• LGU: BARANGAY PARAOIR (Balaoan, La Union) 

In a report prepared by Barangay Secretary Gloria G. Pacleb and duly noted by Punong Barangay Efraim S. Pacleb, the LGU submitted the following list of projects implemented in their barangay: 

HEALTH

· Anti-rabies vaccination of 400 dogs
· PABASA program (for mothers)
· Feeding program
· Herbary (planting of herbal plants)
· Gulayan sa Barangay
· Uniforms of Barangay officials

DISASTER

Procurement of CCTV cameras; one chainsaw; one diesel generator; 

one bolo and shovels & axes; 10 skull hats; 10 cellphones; two bundles of rope; 

25 flashlights; six handheld radios; one transistor radio; one Canon camera; 

one printer ink cartridge and one pair of binoculars.

INFRASTRUCTURE
· Procurement of 16 monoblock chairs for the church
· Installation of street lights at Purok 5 along with one box of lightbulbs and 100 bags of cement
· De-clogging of canals from Purok 1 to Purok 6
· Repair of the Day Care Center and painting of roofing and bench

LIVELIHOOD
· Procurement of fishing materials suych as fishing nets and paints for motorized bancas (to comply with the color-coding scheme of Balaoan)
· Procurement of RIC Freezer
· Procurement of fertilizers and pesticides

SOCIO-ECONOMIC (Cultural)

Procurement of gifts to be distributed at Christmas and New Year (2017) by means of raffle for the indigent and low income residents of the barangay

SPORTS

Procurement of uniforms for 8 teams and awarding of prizes for the deserving winners

• LGU: BARANGAY QUIRINO (Bacnotan, La Union) 

The report submitted by the LGU of Barangay Quirino contained official and acknowledgment receipts along with disbursement vouchers and bidding documents. These included the payment for the purchase of IP65 solar street lights in the amount of P47,904.00, the rehabilitation of the health center and construction of a waiting area which cost P140, 381.26, the payment for the production of uniforms for LGU personnel and the expenses incurred for the celebration of the barangay fiesta, among others. 

• LGU: BARANGAY PAAGAN (Bacnotan, La Union) 

Much of the report submitted by the LGU focused on the academic performances of the barangay’s SDMP scholars. Photo documentation, on the other hand, illustrated the various construction projects implemented in the barangay as well as various medical, office and construction materials that they received through HMDC’s SDMP fund. 

• LGU: BARANGAY DARIGAYOS (Luna, La Union) 

The LGU of Barangay Darigayos (pop. 2,126) LGU submitted a photo documentation report which mainly featured a visual documentation of the projects implemented in their area which included the repair and improvement of their health center, the construction of a breakwater in a neighborhood that provided protection to households from high tides, and various donated equipment for their Day Care Center. 

• LGU: BARANGAY PITPITAC (Luna, La Union) 

As shown in their report, there were 14 SDMP scholars from Barangay Pitpitac who received their respective scholarship allowances. For infrastructure, a photo documentation showed their newly completed barangay hall extension. The barangay also received an assortment of medical equipment for their health center. 

• PARAOIR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (Balaoan, La Union) 

With a total school population of over 500 students, faculty and staff, Paraoir National High School was the beneficiary of two projects under the SDMP with a total cost of P50,000.00. The report they submitted included quotations, receipts and a detailed photo documentation of the projects. The following are highlights from their report: 

“Replacement of Photocopier Drum
and Developing Unit” Stakeholders:: Students and Teachers
Expected outcome: “Functional photocopier and faster and easier reproduction of instructional materials.”

“2nd phase Construction of Walkway” Stakeholders:: Students and teachers
Expected outcome: “Constructed covered walkway for the protection of students and teachers from the rain and heat of the sun."

• ALMEIDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Balaoan, La Union) 

The school, headed by Ms. Paz C. Orate, submitted the following accomplishment report: 

“The allotted SDMP funds for the year 2017 are allotted to the finishing of the second phase of the walkway project which was also the project of the SDMP budget for 2016. The project was implemented on the 3rd quarter of 2017, the walkway is located at the intermediate building connecting the intermediate rooms of Grades 5 and 6 with the canteen and EPP room.” 

In the attached article written by Anela Sherey S. Ancheta for the school publication, a photo of the delivery of construction materials was captioned as follows: “DAAN SA PANGARAP. Abalang-abala si Manong sa pag-aayos ng ilang materyales na gagamitin sa pagpapatuloy ng daanan sa Almeida Elementary School.” 

• LGU: BARANGAY NAMATUCAN (Agno, Pangasinan) 

The barangay, with its population of 1,231residents, is one of HMDC’s main impact communities in Agno. The report submitted by barangay secretary Ricky Notario showed a hand-drawn map of the barangay detailing the locations of major infrastructure and photos of an erstwhile dirt road that has since been concreted. The report also indicated the project timeline which began on December 10 and was completed on December 15, 2017. 

• LGU: BARANGAY ALOLENG (Agno, Pangasinan) 

The report submitted by Barangay Aloleng contained photos showing the process of the construction of a road shoulder in their area. 

• LGU: BARANGAY MAGSAYSAY (Agno, Pangasinan) 

The completion of a water system in Barangay Magsaysay is a perfect example of a collaborative effort between the company and the beneficiary barangay. For the project, HMDC provided the materials needed and members of the community with the appropriate skills volunteered to do the actual work of constructing the system. The result was a safe water source for the barangay hall and the day care center. 

• LGU: BARANGAY TUPA (Agno, Pangasinan) 

The LGU’s report showed “before & after” photos of the completed barangay roads in their area. 

• TUPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Agno, Pangasinan) 

Through school head Ms. Elnora Nivera, the school submitted “before and after” photos of the projects implemented within their premises which included the painting of walls and benches, the repair and in other cases the installation of water pipes and faucets and the installation of windows and grills at the school canteen. The school also received various kitchen implements. 

• JUSTICE POTENCIANO PECSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Agno, Pangasinan) 

In a site development plant that the school included in their report, the area where the installation of tiles for a handwashing area has been highlighted. The summary prepared by Ms. Arlene Nacario, Head Teacher I, included the following information: 

Project: Tiling of Handwashing Facility Location: Beside Grade 1 & 2 Classrooms of Marcos Type Building
Date implemented/Status: November 26, 2017 functional and serviceable for the 91 pupils

• GAYUSAN INTEGRATED SCHOOL (Agno, Pangasinan) 

The report from Gayusan Integrated School acknowledged the receipt of materials they received for a water system as well as the ongoing installation of water pipes, both made possible through the SDMP of HMDC – La Union. 

• ALOLENG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Agno, Pangasinan) 

A proper waste disposal area to improve the school’s waste management system was one of Aloleng Elementary School’s concerns, and a 2-section waste disposal area was proposed, approved and implemented through the company’s SDMP. This was in addition to the completion of the first phase of the completion of the school fence, which was detailed in “before & after” photos in their report.