Sagittarius wins Anvil for high-tech communication tool

MANILA, Philippines - The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) recently honored South Cotabato-based Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) for its high-tech mobile communication facility.

SMI’s Mobile Community Information and Resource Center (mCIRC) received from the PRSP an Award for Excellence in the Public Relations Tools category.

“The mCIRC is a mobile communication facility that allows us to communicate to our various stakeholders on the magnitude and scope of the Tampakan copper-gold project, especially in terms of its environmental and social impacts,” said SMI general manager Mark Williams.

“It also enables us to present important information on SMI’s sustainable development plans and policies to our stakeholders, particularly to our host communities as they formulate a free and prior informed decision of the project,” said Williams.

SMI holds a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement with the government for the exploration, development and operation of the Tampakan copper-gold project.

The $5.9-billion proposed mining project is located in southern Mindanao, encompassing the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.

SMI corporate communications manager John Arnaldo said the company wanted to develop a tool that would help reach a multi-cultural and diverse range of people in the project area.

“Our mCIRC was designed to help us communicate across the region where people speak at least seven languages or dialects with diverse education levels,” he said.

Touch screens and 3D technology help present project information to the stakeholders, with a focus on the areas of community relations, forest and water management, the mine life cycle, and the proposed mine layout.

Support materials are presented in English, Tagalog, Bisaya, Blaan and Ilonggo which detail both the potential benefits and impacts of the project.

“A team of trained mCIRC staff is also on hand to facilitate and answer questions that may arise during the visit to the center,” said Arnaldo.

“Since its launch in June 2010, more than 15,000 people in nine communities within our project area and in Baguio have visited the mCIRC,” he added.

Arnaldo said the visitors ranged from members of the community to non-government and local government organizations, business groups and primary and secondary school students.

Aside from the mCIRC, SMI also developed the Interactive Mining Information Center or iMIC, a multimedia showcase housed at the main lobby entrance of the Science Discovery Center at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

The iMIC aims to provide information on responsible minerals development to a larger national audience, especially Metro Manila youths and their parents.

Around 49,000 guests had visited the iMIC as of end-January this year, Arnaldo said.

The mCIRC and iMIC form part of a comprehensive stakeholder communication and engagement program that SMI has been undertaking to ensure that its stakeholders are fully informed of its plans for the Tampakan copper-gold project.