In the Philippines, the legal rights of the IPs over lands declared as Ancestral Domains are clearly protected through the Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts or IPRA. SMI, in the conduct of its business, ensures that at the minimum, the company adheres to all existing laws and regulations in the Philippines.

Aside from compliance to national regulatory frameworks and Xstrata’s SD Standards, SMI uses international standards such as that of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, World Bank/International Finance Corporation Directives and Performance Standards, and International Labor Organization Convention 169 as benchmarks for its internal practices to protect and preserve the integrity and rights of the indigenous peoples.

Cognizant of the need to protect cultural heritage, as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 4846 or the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act, SMI inducts frontline employees and contractors on socio-cultural sensitivity. The induction includes an orientation on legal statutes that deal on respect for indigenous rights, inclusive of cultural properties.