COTABATO CITY — Community leaders, including members of the Blaan tribe, and employees of a private firm have joined forces to deliver health services to marginalized residents in a remote village in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
Barangay Buto Chairman Ferdinand Encia said Thursday, October 16, that personnel from Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) turned over medicines and other medical supplies to his office on Friday, October 10, to support the barangay’s ongoing health program in partnership with the company.
Encia and municipal officials said barangay leaders, community health workers, SMI staff, and Blaan tribal leaders are working together to strengthen community health initiatives across Tampakan’s villages.
SMI, which holds the government contract to operate the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, will eventually cover areas within the ancestral domains of the Blaan in Tampakan, Columbio in Sultan Kudarat, Malungon in Sarangani, and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur.
While SMI has yet to begin extracting copper and gold, Encia said the firm has already invested substantial funds over the past decade in programs promoting community empowerment, health, and education in the four municipalities.
“We are thankful to the management of this mining firm for supporting the health services of our barangay government and all other barangays in Tampakan,” Encia said.
Malungon Vice Mayor Maria Theresa Constantino and Kiblawan Vice Mayor Joel Calma said some of their municipal health workers — including members of the Blaan community — completed midwifery and nursing degrees through SMI’s college scholarship program.
About The Author
