OCEANAGOLD PHILIPPINES, Inc. said its Harmony in Diversity (HiD) Effect mine rehabilitation method is expected to produce up to P2.2-million per hectare in savings, which it plans to apply to its community-support projects.
As of June 2025, OceanaGold said it has successfully regenerated 55 hectares (ha) of the mine’s 355 ha concession area.
The HiD Effect recreates the original ecosystem of a mining concession area using species endemic to the area before mining commenced. It said the method allows forest layers to develop simultaneously, speeding up biodiversity recovery, and enriching soil nutrients.
“Through the HiD Effect, we can transform a disturbed mining area into a self-sustaining forest in just three to five years which used to take at least 15 years under conventional methods,” OceanaGold Acting Superintendent for Environment Donna Del Moro said in a statement.
Traditional methods are also labor-intensive, rely on imported mulch and grass seed, and rely on costly maintenance.
Progressive Rehabilitation, as defined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, promotes ecosystem recovery and biodiversity regeneration through cost-effective methods, aligns with the approved post-mining land use plan, and is ideally implemented throughout all stages of mining. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay