Former mining firm scholar oversees greening program

MANILA, Philippines - With sheer guts and determination to achieve his ambition in life and to keep on learning whenever the opportunity knocks, Wendy Nicano is one among the students in a poor village in Didipio in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, who has benefited from a mining firm’s scholarship program.

After finishing his information degree as a scholar of OceanaGold (Phils.) Mining, Inc. at the Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), Wendy was taken in last May 1, by the firm to work at its Sustainability Department where she is incharge of its national greening program (nursery management community) for the downstream communities.

When asked during an interview how she feels finishing her studies practically for free, and now that she is earning as an employee of the mining firm, her quick retort was: “Of course I am so happy and very thankful to God and to OceanaGold. My job is a big influence on my personal and professional growth.”

“Had it not been really for OceanaGold’s scholarship program, I could not have earned a college degree as my family is very poor. For me, it was like I found a gold mine. I just could not believe it really that I will also be employed in this company. And for all this, again, I would like to express my wholehearted thanks to God and to OceanaGold for everything,” the 29-year-old Wendy, said.

As if good fortune was still very much on his family’s pathway, OceanaGold also took in her husband, Domingo Nicano to work at the company as construction driver.

OceanaGold’s scholarship program was established sometime in 2007. It covers financial assistance for high school and full scholarship to university students of families living in the Didipio Valley and neighboring communities where its mine site is located.

The areas of study include environmental science, forestry, agriculture, chemistry, education and information technology and hotel and restaurant management.

Chito Gozar, OceanaGold vice president for communications and external affairs, said his firm has been implementing the program in partnership with the local community groups and educational institutions. These institutions are the NVSU, Quirino State College (QSC), St. Louis University (SLU), Eastern Nueva Vizcaya National High School (ENVNHS).

“We are providing scholarships to local and deserving students in the community to attend a named college or university near the region. Our scholarship program is based on merit and cover tuition and other school fees,” he said.

Last year, OceanaGold increased to 47 its college scholarships and funded the salaries of 15 teachers with responsibility for 537students. At present, 157 tertiary scholarships have been awarded to Didipio Valley students since 2007, 41 of them graduated with a university qualification.