Norwegian firm provides Mangyans with free education

CALAPAN CITY, Philippines – To take an active part in alleviating the sorry plight of many Mangyans in Mindoro and as part of its corporate social responsibility, Intex Resources Phils. Inc. has been providing indigenous children with free education.

Starting from the day-care level, Intex Resources, a Norway-based mining company, has been making sure since three years ago that Mangyan children are getting the education they need to prepare themselves for the future.

Some 30 Mangyan children are now enrolled in different high schools in Oriental and Occidental Mindoro as scholars of Intex Resources. In the last two years, a number of Intex scholars have graduated from college.

Aside from tuition and miscellaneous fees, Intex Resources provides its scholars with a complete set of uniforms, shoes, school supplies, basic daily necessities such as bath soap and shampoo, and cash allowances for their immediate needs. They are also given free board and lodging during their entire schooling. 

On top of this, Mangyan children living with their families in mountain villages in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro and Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro are also given free education in day care centers and elementary schools. 

Intex Resources has made a commitment to help the Mangyans, who belong to the Alangan and Bangon tribes and who are living within the site of its proposed Mindoro nickel project.

Through Intex Resources and its local partner, Aglubang Mining Corp., the nickel project has been granted three mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for a period of 48 years in the central mountainous areas of Mindoro. Another MPSA is being processed.

The Mindoro project is projected to be the largest nickel production and the only refined nickel plant in the Philippines beginning 2013.  

It has a reserve base of about 1.2 million tons of nickel that would be sufficient for 21 years of production.

Mindoro’s nickel resource base of 2.6 million tons will make it possible for the project to be in production for several decades.

Studies indicate that the Mindoro nickel project is environmentally sound with a low carbon footprint compared to other laterite projects.