Three operating members of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) have demonstrated compliance with global best mining practices across four Protocols or key areas that minerals development firms should focus on as outlined in the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) standard. These results, confirmed by independent external verifiers, were announced today at the 2025 Mining Philippines International Conference and Exhibition at the Grand Hyatt Manila, Bonifacio Global City.
Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp. (RTNMC) and OceanaGold Phils. Inc. (OGPI) received the highest verified ratings of AAA in Water Stewardship across all of this Protocol’s 4 Indicators or specific measures used to assess performance. Meanwhile, OGPI’s Didipio Project was rated AAA in all 6 Indicators under Tailings Management.
For their part, CTP Mining and Construction Corp. (CTPCMC) and RTNMC both had the highest scores in Safety & Health, in IP and Community Outreach and Social Development Management.
“We are greatly encouraged by the continued strong participation of our members in the second year of TSM’s implementation in the Philippines,” COMP Chairman Michael Toledo said. “This year, nine out of 10 member-mines completed self-assessments and underwent external verification, a clear proof of our industry’s commitment to transparency and accountability. TSM continues to guide us in measuring performance on areas that matter most to our stakeholders, especially to our host communities. Our members remain steadfast in pursuing global best practices and higher ESG performance, strengthening trust and driving long-term value.”
RTNMC, CTPCMC, and OGPI were among the nine COMP operating members that underwent external verification of their self-ratings for their 2024 TSM performance. The other six companies that were subjected to verification this year are Hinatuan Mining Corp.; Dinapigue Mining Corp.; Carrascal Nickel Corp.; Eramen Minerals, Inc.; LNL Archipelago Minerals, Inc.; and Benguet Corporation – Baguio Gold Operations.
The external verification reports for these nine mines can be found in the COMP website.
A total of 17 out of COMP’s 18 members with active mine sites submitted their TSM self-assessment results earlier this year. The 8 other self-rated mines were verified in 2024 for their 2023 performance.
Majority of the verified mines performed well in IP Community Outreach & Social Development Management, as well as Safety & Health. Most of them, however, need to perform better in the Water Stewardship and Climate Change Protocols.
“COMP’S goal is for all member-facilities to achieve Level A or better in all Indicators across the 8 Protocols it has adopted,” according to Toledo. “Level A signifies good practice and AAA, excellence and leadership. “While TSM assumes legal compliance, a ‘C’ or ‘Fail’ rating indicates that the mine, despite being legally compliant, does not meet TSM’s foundational practice or starting position for conforming to global industry standards.”
TSM is a set of tools and indicators to drive performance and ensure that key mining risks are managed responsibly, and best practices are used at members’ facilities. Now being implemented in 15 mining jurisdictions worldwide, TSM was established by the Mining Association of Canada in 2004 and adopted by COMP in 2017.