GOLDEN HILL SMALL-SCALE MINERS ASSO. ACQUIRES OWN EMERGENCY VEHICLE

February 24, 2023 Provincial

Caring pocket miners, community

TUBA, Benguet

Demonstrating its care for local pocket miners and the community, the Golden Hill Small-Scale Miners Association , Inc.(GHSSMAI) recently purchased a brand new emergency vehicle worth a million pesos. The emergency vehicle was spotted over the weekend at Kiw-is residence, Camp 4,
Kennon ,and was utilized as transport vehicle during the safety training simulation exercise participated by a first group of 30 pocket miners from four local small-scale mining associations (ssm).

The two-day safety training (Fen 21-22), dubbed as Occupational First Aid Training and Basic Life Support was organized by the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc (BFSSM) and sponsored by Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation. Inc in cooperation with Red Cross- Benguet Chapter.
In a chance interview, midway in the first aid training , Byron Dapnisan, president of Golden Hill Small-Scale Miners Association , Inc. revealed that their purchase of the emergency vehicle was made through the combined efforts by 18 operators of their association and the hard-earned earnings from their miners.

Dapnisan, speaking in their local dialect stressed , years their association and members of their community (Camp 6) have experienced challenges such transport of emergency cases. Recognizing the need for vehicle,Dapnisan then sought the cooperation of his members. Oscar Paris,
Chapter Administrator of Benguet Red Cross also noticed the vehicle during the safety exercise said “Its good, a transport vehicle is vital in cases of emergency.”

In the course of his talks with Dapnisan and BFSSMI officials, Paris then pointed some medical protocols in using emergency vehicle as he urged Golden Hill SSM to acquire additional emergency medical equipments such as medical oxygen, stretchers,among others. Paris likewise lauded the pioneering efforts of Golden Hill SSM and encouraged other SSM associations to follow, stressing it’s the community who are the first responders in emergency cases. Alfred Bugnosen, executive vice president of BFSSMI, also commended officials and members of Golden Hill for their efforts, and was quoted as saying :” kasta kuma amin ti aramiden dagiti SSM associations, especially those in geographically isolated areas.”

As far as social responsibility, Dapnisan also revealed that their association donate P5k for their village monthly clean-up drive. And at the height of the pandemic they also shared 20 cavans of rice to indigent families. In times of emergency, their association immediately come to aid by giving financial assistance in the amount of P5k to their affected miners.

Primo Agatep/ ABN