Our Stories
Toward Sustainable Development: Community Cooperatives at Ticao, Philippines
October 26, 2023
Around the world, B2Gold’s business strategy is rooted in a firm commitment to responsible mining – which incorporates sustainable development goals and principles, as defined by the United Nations. At its core, this means working within local social, economic and environmental contexts to maximize positive outcomes for local communities.
As we have implemented this approach at our project sites around the world, we’ve learned that community cooperatives are a powerful force for sustainable development at a local level.
A great recent example is our work on Ticao Island, off the coast of our Masbate Gold Project in the Philippines. Our Masbate Community Relations team worked with 10 Ticao community associations in 2022, focusing on activities such as fishing, micro-financing, agriculture, and transport, to help them develop into full-fledged cooperatives.
Job opportunities and sustainable livelihoods through local partnerships
The Masbate team provided job opportunities, initial capital, and training for entrepreneurial activities, while the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) of Masbate assisted with institutional support, to organize the associations into cooperatives.
The Cooperative Development Authority provided training and capacity building to ensure the success of the cooperatives.
Long-term and direct benefits for the community of Ticao, Philippines
Thanks to this close collaboration and partnership, Masbate’s cooperatives program has had a long-term and sustainable impact on the community of Ticao – directly benefiting 255 people and assisting the PLGU toward achieving its goals of poverty alleviation, health development, and environmental preservation.
By providing support and resources, the Masbate Gold Project’s Community Relations team has helped transform informal associations into thriving cooperatives – ensuring a brighter future for the Ticao community. And further demonstrating B2Gold’s commitment to empowering communities and promoting sustainable development, as well.
Learn more about B2Gold’s community-development work and cooperative partnerships in gold-producing regions around the world, in our most recent Responsible Mining Report.
