SMI's Chairman of the Board appointed as Secretary of National Defense
TAMPAKAN, South Cotabato - Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) warmly welcomed the appointment of its Chairman of the Board, Atty. Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro, Jr., as Secretary of the Department of National Defense in the PBBM Administration.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday, June 6, administered the oath of office to Secretary Teodoro in an official ceremony held at Malacañan Palace in Manila.
Teodoro served as Chairman of the Board of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) from 2015 up to his appointment and led the Company in achieving critical milestones for the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, putting it in a ready position to construct and operate as soon as possible.
The SMI Board’s total investment in the project reached about PhP32 billion, with PhP3 billion paid in national and local taxes and about PhP1.3 billion provided to the local communities for development programs and activities focused on education, infrastructure and access to health.
Through his leadership, SMI successfully undertook in 2018 a comprehensive study for a phased approach to the development of the Tampakan Project, secured in 2019 the approval of its Declaration of Mine Project Feasibility and obtained in 2020 a Certification Precondition from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples for the Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) agreement between the company and Tampakan Project’s 11 Indigenous Cultural Communities to develop the untapped minerals within their ancestral land.
During his term, SMI was able to continue its Early Works site development activities such as geotechnical / hydrogeological drillings for its planned facilities, repair/rehab of main access roads, operationalization of SMI Basecamp, construction of its Mindanao Administration Office, and secured its port facility in General Santos City.
Secretary Teodoro had served as the secretary of the Department of National Defense from 2007 to 2009 and the Representative of the First District of Tarlac from 1998 to 2007.
He completed his law degree at the University of the Philippines (UP), graduated at the top of his class and was the Philippine Bar topnotcher in 1989. He also has a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School.
Teodoro was recognized as a Leadership Awardee and Seminar Academic Excellence Awardee after completing the Philippine Air Force’s Air Command and Staff Course in 2001. (30)
2023-06-08
