10.04.2015 Views

Grains - 3rd Quarter : 2012 - NFA

Grains - 3rd Quarter : 2012 - NFA

Grains - 3rd Quarter : 2012 - NFA

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

18 Features<br />

Call time was set at 5:00 am<br />

at the Legazpi Pier. <strong>NFA</strong> Team from<br />

Region 5 and Albay Provincial Office<br />

including myself arrived at the<br />

appointed place ahead of time with our<br />

bags packed with clothes and some<br />

food stuffs ready for an overnight stay<br />

at Rapu-Rapu Island where an advocacy<br />

on I-Rice feeding activity and livelihood<br />

seminars are to be conducted in two<br />

barangays on July 5, <strong>2012</strong>. We were<br />

told that we will spend the night at the<br />

camp site of Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic<br />

Project (RRPP) which is jointly operated<br />

by the Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc and<br />

Rapu-Rapu Processing Inc.<br />

The Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic<br />

Project, considered a pioneer in<br />

polymetallic mining, produces copper<br />

and zinc concentrates, with gold and<br />

silver by-products. It has a Mine<br />

Development Area (MDA) of about 180<br />

hectares in the Ungay-Malobago<br />

mineral reserve within Rapu-Rapu<br />

Island.<br />

As part of its corporate social<br />

responsibility (CSR), RRPP implements<br />

several community development<br />

programs in the municipality of Rapu-<br />

Rapu under its Community<br />

Development Assistance Program<br />

(CDAP) in partnership with local<br />

government units, government<br />

agencies, private and civic<br />

organizations. RRPP provides funds,<br />

logistics support and manpower<br />

skills to<br />

implement<br />

its CDAP<br />

programs<br />

guided by<br />

the United<br />

Nations<br />

Millennium<br />

Goals<br />

(UNMDG)<br />

and the<br />

needs of the<br />

residents.<br />

Rapu-Rapu<br />

Minerals<br />

Inc. recently<br />

received the<br />

top honors in the Social Empowerment<br />

category of the Asia Responsible<br />

Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) <strong>2012</strong><br />

for South East Asia for implementing<br />

their Community Development<br />

Assistance Program.<br />

The <strong>NFA</strong> team, all ten of us was<br />

led by newly installed Region 5 Director,<br />

Alan Borja. All first timers, <strong>NFA</strong> team<br />

(Tay Edwin, Nelsie, Bel, APM Tonette,<br />

Aireen, Jun, Allan, Ronald and me)<br />

boarded the motorboat that will bring<br />

us to Barangays Morocborocan and<br />

Buenavista.<br />

After ironing out some hitches<br />

and completing the other members of<br />

the group that include Ms. Cecille<br />

Calleja, Rapu-Rapu Minerals, Inc. Vice<br />

President for<br />

The small paddle boat or “sibid-sibid” that takes Dir. Alan Borja and Aireen Poyatos<br />

at the shoreline of Barangay Buenavista.<br />

It’s More Fun in<br />

Rapu-Rapu with<br />

i-Rice<br />

By Ma. Cynthia L. Suarez<br />

Photos by Aireen Poyatos & Nelsie Alcantara<br />

Public Relations & Corporate Affairs and<br />

her staff, representatives from the<br />

Department of Trade and Industry,<br />

Rapu-Rapu Environment People’s<br />

Organization, National Commission on<br />

Culture and Arts, we finally left Legazpi<br />

Pier at past 6:00 in the morning while<br />

the sun began to rise. What a beautiful<br />

sight!<br />

While traversing the Albay Gulf<br />

for more than an hour, we slowly lost<br />

sight of Mayon Volcano but saw the<br />

splendor of other creations of the God<br />

Almighty as we passed by the small<br />

islands around the gulf with its green<br />

foliage. Soon, we forgot the bustling<br />

city life as serenity enveloped us in this<br />

distant island.<br />

After more than two<br />

hours of motorboat<br />

ride, we finally arrived<br />

at our first destination,<br />

Barangay<br />

Morocborocan. It is<br />

one of the 13<br />

barangays comprising<br />

the Rapu-Rapu island.<br />

The island is one of<br />

the three islands that<br />

make up the<br />

Municipality of Rapu-<br />

Rapu. The town was<br />

classified as a 4 th class<br />

municipality in the<br />

province of Albay<br />

prior to the<br />

operations of the<br />

mine; in 2009 it was<br />

reclassified as a<br />

second class<br />

municipality. The<br />

other two are<br />

Batan Island and<br />

Guinayan Island.<br />

Upon<br />

alighting at<br />

Barangay

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!