SMI continues to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility by contributing to the social, economic and institutional development of our communities by forging meaningful partnerships with our stakeholders.

In keeping with this commitment, we have implemented in 2008 the Tampakan Social Involvement Program (SIP), which was formulated following an extensive stakeholder consultation process. The SIP indentifies and defines the projects that best respond to the key social challenges and opportunities in the host and neighboring communities.By focusing on education, health, skills training and enterprise development, it aims to help communities establish sustainable economies that can survive long after its operations end.

In 2008, SMI spent around PhP65 million (USD1.4 million) on various CSI programs that covered education, health, livelihood and capacity-building ventures, providing real and long-term benefits for local communities.

• A total of 16,325 students were granted free elementary, high school and college education in the communities of Tampakan (5,700), Tupi (262), Kiblawan (1,651), Columbio (8,141), Malungon (563), and Region XII (eight). The academic performance of each student is constantly monitored until the school year ends in March 2009.
• SMI supports the monthly salary of 15 teachers in the communities of Tampakan, Tupi, Columbio and Malungon while the local governments of these communities seek the regularization of these salaries as part of Department of Education’s budget.  
• Provided access to basic health services to over 30,000 community members; and enrolled at least 3,000 families or 15,000 individuals in the PhilHealth Program.

• In partnership with various tribal councils, adult literacy programs were set up in several barangays in Kiblawan and Malungon, benefitting more than 548 adults.

We have also reinforced our Information and education campaign activities during the year. Project update presentations have been provided to several thousand members of the local community, spanning major stakeholder groups.

A grassroots awareness campaign on minerals development and its processes reached approximately 30,000 local community members.

The Tampakan Project offers enormous potential to create sustainable social and economic benefits for neighboring communities and the Philippines as a whole. It is being developed in accordance with leading international practice standards, with a particular emphasis on transparent and open engagement with communities and other stakeholders at each stage of the project. In doing so, it aims to create a new model for responsible minerals development in the Philippines