Semirara Mining to give P1M each to victims' families in Antique

COLLAPSED. A photo provided by the Philippines Office of Civil Defense in Region VI shows view of an earlier landslide area at the Panian open pit at the Semirara mining site in Caluya, Antique, on February 14, 2013. Another accident in the mining site happened on July 17, 2015.

MANILA, Philippines – Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, whose mining site collapsed and buried 9 workers, said on Monday, July 20, that it would provide all the necessary support – including financial assistance, scholarships, and housing – for the families of the victims.

In a statement, the company also said it is "cooperating fully with government authorities investigating the accident," which happened last Friday, July 17.

As of Monday, it said, 7 of the 9 fatalities have been recovered, and 'round the clock search and retrieval operations continued.

"The needs of the families of the victims remain our priority. We have sought the assistance of religious nuns and professional counselors to help the bereaved cope with their loss," Semirara Mining said.

Specifically, the company said it will do the following:

• Facilitate the life and accident insurance claims of the victims' families
• Release additional funds for their transportation and other incidental expenses
• Provide P1 million to each of the 9 victims' families
• Shoulder all the education expenses, up to college, of the victims' children
• Provide jobs to victims' children who are of employment age
• Fly the victims’ immediate family to Semirara Island on Tuesday, July 21
• Shoulder all the funeral expenses
• Provide surviving families with free permanent housing on Semirara Island, if they decide to stay there, or provide them with housing assistance elsewhere

"We continue to pray for the families as they go through this difficult time. We are committed to providing them with the support they need to rebuild their lives," the company statement said.

Source:  Rappler.com