Mga ‘diwata’ sa mining

Rocks and stones may not sound majestic to philistines, but they’re what most of  our world is made of. Silverware and chinaware, computers,  cellphones, automobiles, airplanes,  bicycles, housing construction materials,  airconditioners and electric fans, jewelry, eyeglasses — name it, and you have things made from rocks and stones that have been mined from deep under the earth, and processed to make our earthly  lives comfortable.

The benefits of mining and the challenges of a career in mining were spelled out by four geologists at the Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel recently – all four of them claiming proudly  that they are   â€œrare gems.”  Rare gems  they are indeed, as there are not too many people working for the mining industry. The amazing thing, though, is that 60 percent of mining engineers are women!

Another amazing thing is that the four resource persons are top, well-paid executives in mining corporations. Redempta Pena Baluda is a professional geologist obtaining eighth place in the 1976 national licensure board examination, and has more than 30 years of experience — all 30 years spent with Philex Mining, starting after her graduation from the University of the Philippines. She  has broad expertise in  geology, including mining geology, copper and gold mineral exploration and ore microscopy. She is currently vice president for exploration with Philex.

 The four scientists were invited to speak at the Bulong Pulungan, courtesy of DIWATA-Women in Resource Development, Inc. which celebrated its first anniversary last month. The organization is headed by lawyer Patricia Bunye Rojas as president. And its  guiding hand is former Ambassador Delia Albert, whose heart has been in mining, and who  christened the women’s group with the overriding responsibility of creating wealth for the country through responsible mining.  Philippine mythology talks of diwatas as nature spirits watching over activities that protect and destroy natural resources.

The four scientists at Bulong Pulungan are members of Diwata, and are diwatas themselves, making sure that extractions of mineral resources — mining, oil and gas, and quarrying — are well within responsible requirements.

There  was Eliza R. Laudencia, with 32-year experience in directing an extensive project  in the field of geosciences, is a UP geology graduate, has managed geosciences projects in mining, environmental hydrogeology, engineering geology and research with Geoscience Foundation, Inc. where she is executive director.

Maria Ines Rosana Dacanay Balangue-Tarriela obtained her doctorate in Physical Sciences  from the School of Earth Sciences at the   La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia, her masters in energy technology from the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, and her geology degree from the UP.

Ines, who is an associate professor in the National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines (where she obtained her BS in geology), is currently serving as the institute’s  deputy director for academic affairs.

The youngest resource person, Rodalee E. Ofiaza,  finished mining engineering at the UP (again, as UP is the only institution in this country to  offer  mining engineering), in 1996. She is currently a technical adviser to the president of Sulu Sea Minerals Management Corp. In the last three years, she has taken on research studies, partnering with the Chamber of Mines, AusAID, UP School of Economics, and UP Department of Mining, Metallurgy Engineering  and the Society of Metallurgical Engineers of the Philippines on such topics as mining revenue sharing, analysis of the mining poverty incidence study, mining scoping study, mining footprint, and  appraising the Philippine gold  jewelry industry.

“Mining impacts everyone,” said Ma. Ines. “The key word is responsible mining.  We can develop centers (for mining awareness and industries)  in the different regions, so people will stop coming to Manila to look for jobs.”

Eliza talked about working out in the fields and mining sites. Like her colleagues,  she is amused when her children are surprised when they see her wearing a skirt,  and not pants, her usual attire.

Redempta talked about her heart being for mining since she was small, and has never regretted her choice. Philex Mining, where she spent 30 years of her life, has been practising corporate social responsibility.

The industry pays higher salaries than call centers, Elza said. New graduates are paid P50,000 by mining companies.

Redempta, whose husband is a nurse, said being with Philex has made her develop professionally and personally and taught her the science of leadership.  CSR responsibilities she handles include sanitation, beautification, medical  and educational conditions in communities around the mining site in Benguet.

At the Bulong Pulungan closing, Delia said Diwata wants to promote dialogues to make people aware of the benefits of responsible mining. She said she met South African President Nelson Mandela during a conference, and he impressed her by his remark: “To check poverty, we should create wealth by using our natural resources.”

Diwata Delia served for some time as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. She was recently honored by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association with its 2012 most distinguished alumna award.

Delia, a native of Baguio City,  is a foreign service degree holder. She spent four decades of her diplomatic career serving in Philippine diplomatic missions in Geneva, Bucharest, Berlin and Bonn; as ambassador for seven years in Australia with concurrent accreditation to Nauru, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and served as dean of the diplomatic corps in Canberra during the centenary of the Federation of Australia. She ended her diplomatic career in Berlin as ambassador to the reunified Federal Republic of Germany.

An ardent supporter of women’s and indigenous people’s rights, Delia has spent considerable time speaking at local and international conferences on these concerns.  Her efforts are well recognized. She has been conferred the Philippine Order of Sikatuna, Rank of Datu; the Commander’s Cross with Star of Germany’s Order of Merit; and the honorary royal title of Bai-A-Rawatun sa Pilipinas by 16 Royal Houses of Lanao,  and Royal titles  by Maranao women.

In addition, she received from Philippine Women’s University an honorary doctorate. The  National Council of Women recognized her as the Most Outstanding Woman  in Public Service, and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Women in Business and Professionals as its Most Outstanding Woman in Global Diplomacy.

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My husband and I had a pleasant time two weekends ago in  the farm of Ka Pino Bondad in Barangay Imok, Calauan, Laguna. Located about a kilometer-and-a-half from the town proper, Hidden Hills, as Pino christened his place, is indeed hidden from view, but a few meters up via cemented road, we reached the farm and were awed by the peace and quiet and cool breezes and the sight of thick forests and of the Soriano dairy farm (which supplies milk products to 5-star hotels in Metro Manila)  below the hilltop. A few bungalows, that need only a little refurbishing, were  built for tourists and campers. There’s electricity, and water pumped to the bungalows and for watering of seedlings.

We had fun picking durian fruit; unlike the traditional variety, the durian trees at Ka Pino’s place are so low you can actually hand-pick the fruit. All about the place are scores of  fruit-bearing trees — guyabano, mango, lychee, abiu, avocado, rambutan, lansones, anonas, kalamansi, saging na saba. These trees had been planted as seedlings  by Pino, a soft-spoken man, when he was young. He would take his family up to the place – his wife Remy and three daughters (all bright and good-looking) and spend Saturday nights with  a bonfire outside one of the bungalows, and  fish and chicken roasting at the front yard. “We had so much fun here,” said Pino.

Pino is selling the whole  4.4  hectare farm, or a hectare or two of it. If you’re interested to own a nice out-of-town, easily-reachable productive hideaway call Pinoy at CP No. 0948-4681112.

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