2023 Annual Report:

COMP completed everything that it had set out to do in 2021 and 2022.  In 2023, the third year of the Modified Cycle, the major TSM activity was the mandatory submission of self-ratings, supported by evidences, by operating member companies, without public reporting.

The inclusive period for the submission was January to December 2022.

Mandatory Submission of Self-Assessment Reports

Mine Site Sustainability Audit App Turnover, Enhancements

To support the COMP members’ TSM self-assessment reporting and to address privacy concerns, Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) Group – composed of companies that are all part of the Chamber – turned over to COMP the Mine Site Sustainability Audit (MSSA) App that the Group designed and developed in 2022.

NAC formally handed over the MSSA to the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) in February 2023.  Mr. Gerard H. Brimo, NAC chairman and COMP vice chairman, personally handed over the hard drive containing the MSSA app to Atty. Michael T. Toledo, COMP chairman, during a meeting of the Chamber Board of Trustees.

Since the MSSA was originally intended for exclusive internal use by operating mines within the NAC Group, enhancements had to be made on the app to allow for multiple users at different levels among COMP member-firms.  The enhancements were completed in end-April, at which time the MSSA became accessible to authorized users via the COMP website.

Self-Assessment Preparations, Submission

While the app enhancements were being performed, the TSM initiative leaders in participating mines gathered the proofs and evidences to support their self-ratings and then uploaded these to cloud-based file storage platforms.  The initiative leaders also provided COMP, the new MSSA App Super Administrator, the names of their System Administrators (for companies with multiple operating mines), Mine Site Coordinators (for those with single operating mines), and Mine Site Auditors, which names were authorized to be given access to the MSSA. All authorized personnel were required to attend the online app tutorial conducted by COMP and NAC in late April.

A total of 19 operating members were required to submit their self-ratings via the MSSA in May.  The submissions and internal audit process lasted for nearly two months. Of the 19 mines, 17 were able to comply.

TSM Mock External Verification 

 As part of COMP’s preparations for the full implementation of TSM in 2024, Philex Padcal in Benguet, Rio Tuba Nickel in Palawan, and OceanaGold Didipio in Nueva Vizcaya volunteered to be subjected to separate Mock External Verification (MEV) by three teams of COMP-accredited Verification Service Providers (VSPs or External Verifiers) in August and September.  The MEV will help COMP fine-tune the TSM report submission and verification process, as well as further improve the MSSA.

The VSP recommendations on the MSSA, the verification process, and the evidences and proofs to support the members’ self-ratings will be fully implemented in 2024, when all operating mines will submit their self-assessment reports for the period January to December 2023.  Shortly thereafter, half of these mines will undergo external verification.  All 2023 submissions will be made available to the public.

Community of Interest Advisory Panel Matters

In November, COMP hosted the TSM Community of Interest (COI) Advisory Panel Meeting where we presented our accomplishments and plans going forward.  They were apprised on developments on the TSM program, including the submission of the member’s self-ratings, the enhancements to the MSSA App, as well as the Mock External Verification and the key learnings in this activity.

COI Panel Vacancies Filled

The meeting saw Mr. Filomeno Sta. Ana III attend as new COI member for the civil society sector vice former DOF USec. Cielo Magno.  Mr. Sta. Ana is the chair of Bantay Kita, the co-founder of the Action for Economic Reforms, and a columnist of BusinessWorld and Rappler.

The COI also approved the appointment of Dr. Randy Tuano, current dean of the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), to assume the post for the academic sector vacated in the Panel by his ASOG predecessor Dr. Ronald Mendoza. 

The search is still ongoing for the COI post for the climate change/environment sector left by DENR USec. Carlos Primo David, as well as for the local government sector.

Other Matters

 Crisis Management and Communications Training

To help prepare the company for its 2023 TSM Self-Assessment, particularly for the Crisis Management and Communications Planning Protocol, members of TVI Resource Development Phils., Inc. Leadership Team participated in a two-day Crisis Management and Communications Training conducted by COMP and ALTS Canada in February.

International Matters

Since 2019, COMP has consistently attended all but one TSM Partner Countries Meetings called by the Mining Association of Canada. The Meetings coincide with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention and Exhibition, the world’s biggest annual gathering of companies, professionals, representatives, and stakeholders  of mining, exploration, and allied industries.

TSM is increasingly becoming a global mining standard representing a set of best practices in mining within certain protocols.