When we are confronted with deaths of people who got buried by landslides, we cannot help asking, when will my turn come? What accident could I go through and lead me to die in a similar way?
It seems we have become immune to hearing-reading news about deaths. Everyday, we encounter death -- whether through drug incidents or because of natural disasters.
But dying through landslides are worse. People die without fighting Mother Nature. They are just tossed and buried helplessly most of the time. Landslides could bring soil and rocks which could hasten the dying of people. If landslides only bring soil and water, victims could still swim through them; but once rocks and stone accompany the wash outs, the mines could become their tombs. Then we could only pray for their being saved by miraculous means - through the intercession of God.
Whatever the nature of dying in these recent landslides, in Itogon, Benguet in particular, it is obvious that those who died and other victims have been shaped into an unthinking community whose sole preoccupation is to find gold. The lure of instant wealth, of high return of efforts, is so strong that the small time miners and their families could ride through all kinds of obstacles without regard for huge consequences should irregular events occur, like landslides.
The Benguet Corporation has been in existence since 1903. It started as a company engaged in gold and other metallic and non-metallic mineral production, exploration, research and development. That means for 115 years it has existed, grown very wealthy and continues to thrive in the economic environment in our country.
And what has it contributed to the upliftment of the lives of the people surrounding the area?
The deaths of the Itogon miners can only be faulted to the highly unscientific minds that have been administering the projects. The people have been bred not to think scientifically -- to survey the environment, to know how it could be treacherous living in that area, to know how to detect and how to escape should untoward incidents like landslides should occur, and many more.
In other words, living in such an area requires not just a financial know-how, nor technical knowledge of how to dig for gold, but also comprehensively, to look at how that environment could become one's tomb as well should they not be able to assess their presence there.
Hence, it is a shame that the officers and owners of Benguet Corporation have manged to be blind to that need for the people to realize the dangers of living in a mining camp. Greed has been the preoccupation, no longer so called -- Corporate Social Responsibility.
What a nice phrase this CSR which was just coined recently. I wonder what phrase the Benguet Corporation used before to signify it they had any noble intentions at all to help the community people in their area of business.
I do think that Science has to be the guiding philosophy in this mining business, more so for the people to embrace.
However, because of the extremely dangerous status of our environment, maybe, acquiring a scientific mind should no longer be the priority but rather the abolition of the business of mining. Existing for 115 years and not knowing that landslides could occur, the Benguet Corporation might as well fold up for acting or being ignorant of the environmental consequences of their business activities.
Widowed and orphaned families will have scars in their minds of the fateful day when the father died. More grievously, not all the wealth that the Corporation has could erase that at all. They can never make the dead live again.
Death and Life, painted by Gustav Klimt in 1916. In this painting, the allegorical figure of death is portrayed as a robed skeleton, holding a stick, approaching a family that is grouped together. They are filled with life, and they portray the full range of life, from that of a young baby up to older children, to a mother, father, and even a grandmother. In their grouping and position, they are turning away from death, and seemingly unconcerned by his stalking of them. (https://artsology.com/death-portrayed-in-art.php)
Data on Benguet Corporation:
Benguet Corporation (Benguet), incorporated on August 12, 1903, is a mining company, which is engaged in gold, nickel and other metallic and non-metallic mineral production, exploration, research and development and natural resource projects. The Company's segments include mining, real estate, logistics and others. The Company's mining segment is engaged in exploration, nickel and gold mining operations. The Company's real estate segment is engaged in the sale of lots. The Company's logistics segment is engaged in logistics services to the supply-chain requirements of various industries. The Company's others segment is engaged in research, development, health services and water projects. The Company is also engaged in healthcare and diagnostics services through BenguetCorp Laboratories, Inc., mining logistics through Arrow Freight Corporation, trading of industrial equipment and supplies through Benguetrade, Inc., port services through Keystone Port Logistics and Management Services Corporation, shipping services through Calhorr 1 Marine Services Corporation and Calhorr 2 Marine Services, Inc., and real estate development and lime kiln operation through BMC Forestry Corporation.
The Company is working on exploration and drilling programs to upgrade the capacity of Acupan Gold Project (AGP). The Company's Irisan Lime Project (ILP) in Irisan, Baguio is engaged in the production and trading of quicklime. ILP produces approximately 7,890 tons of quicklime. The Company's mining operations also include Masinloc Chromite Operation (MCO). The Company's exploration, research and development projects include Balatoc Tailings Project (BTP), Antamok Tailings Project (ATP), Surigao Coal Prospect (SCP), Ampucao Copper-Gold Prospect, Pantingan Gold Prospect and Zamboanga Gold Prospect (ZGP).
Key People Benguet Corp.
Board of Directors
| Name/Title | Current Board Membership |
|---|
No comments:
Post a Comment