Semirara gives aid to landslide victims’ families

MANILA, Philippines - The Semirara Mining Co. said the families of those who died and are still missing in the landslide that hit its mine pit in Antique recently, will be provided with financial assistance.

Victor Consunji, president of Semirara Mining Corp., said the assistance will consist of cash, educational benefits for all the victims’ children through college, and jobs.

“We will also help facilitate the release of their benefits from insurance and from the Social Security System, and pay for all the burial expenses,” Consunji said.

Last Feb. 19, each of the victims’ families received P1 million to help them meet their immediate basic needs. They will be given guidance though on how to make this amount go a long way.

“The company will also employ any qualified member of the families,” Consunji said.

The company and government authorities are still determining the cause of the landslide. Of the 13 workers who were trapped, three were rescued and five were confirmed dead. Search and retrieval operations for the five missing are still ongoing.

For the survivors, the company is paying for all their medical expenses.

“We are doing our best to help them cope with their loss,” Consunji said.

Semirara is the country’s largest coal producer, supplying about 90 percent of the needs of local coal-fired power plants and about one-fifth of the requirements of cement plants.