MANILA, Philippines - OceanaGold Philippines Exploration Corp., the exploration arm of OceanaGold, has launched Education to Employment opportunity program, a structured initiative aimed to interest students to take up geology courses and keep them here through enticement of good employment opportunities when they become professionals instead of leaving with their talents and expertise for jobs abroad.
Chito Gozar, OceanaGold senior vice-president for communications and public affairs, said it has long been a source of wonder why the Philippines though gifted by nature with huge mineral deposits (we rank fifth in the world in terms of total mineral reserves), not many are attracted to take up geology courses.
“Which is sad, geology is a premium profession of premium importance to the country’s development. No big time development will happen if no exploration of our mineral reserves is done, and no large-scale exploration will be done if we are in short supply of geologists,” Gozar pointed out.
The Education to Employment opportunity offered by OceanaGold consists of Masteral Degree Scholarships and Research Grants to deserving students, Gozar said. The National Institute of Geological Sciences is the academic partner of OceanaGold in providing extensive trainings to students in geological sciences applied to mineral exploration, he explained.