“True believers persevere, they patiently examine and explain why they are right and they fight back,” said Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, speaking before the participants of the Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference on November 16 in Baguio City.

After taking hard blows from negative publicity brought upon the industry by many critics, the Philippine Mining Community fought back with vengeance by bringing in excellence in environmental management for sustainable mining operations.

The Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award (PMIEA) has bestowed TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. (TVIRD) the Safest Mining Operations Award for the second time around, and the Platinum Award for Excellence in Environment Management which is the highest recognition conferred to nominees under the surface mining category.

The company was also the recipient of three more recognitions, namely the Safest Surface Mining Operation Award, Safest Mineral Processing Award under the concentrator category, and third runner-up on the Best Mining Forest Award under metallic category.

The company achieved all these awards based on the “performances of its lone operating minesite in Canatuan, Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte where it has been operating inside the ancestral land of the Subanos for more than a decade,” according to the TVIRD website.

Last year, TVIRD made a stride in the Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference having taken home the Titanium Award for Environmental Management along with three more safety awards, too.