March 2, 2016
The visitors included the mayor of Ciénaga, Edgardo Pérez, twelve representatives of his cabinet, ten municipal council members and the personero of Ciénaga, Juan Carlos Fontalvo, who met at Puerto Drummond with the objective of creating a link between the authorities of the municipality and the mining company.
The event started with a variety of presentations for the visitors, where they had the opportunity to hear about the actions carried out by the various areas and become acquainted with details of the port operation. The guests also used this time to present their concerns with the aim of clearing up questions and exchanging ideas that contribute to the development of the town.
The visitors became acquainted with the various projects the company carries out for the economic, social and cultural development of the Colombian Caribbean region, especially in the towns near or adjacent to the areas of influence; which include the departments of Magdalena and Cesar.
“Getting to know at first hand the processes Drummond carries out in favor of the people of Ciénaga creates great enthusiasm and happiness, and in the municipal government we are very happy to know that we can depend on this company to continue carrying out projects that serve for the development of our municipality,”said Mayor Pérez.
The various authorities in this group had the opportunity to get to know close up the process of the operation carried out at the port 24 hours a day. They went through the various coal loading and unloading areas, where they also learned about the company’s environmental responsibility when carrying out its operations, where the principal aim is to mitigate the impact on the environment, not only as a corporate policy but also as a conscious desire of each of the employees that make up Drummond Ltd.
The company tour concluded at the reservoir of water collected from the Toribio and Córdoba Rivers, which together with the richness of this ecosystem creates an extraordinary landscape that surprised the visitors and is composed of the native trees of the region, herons and other species.
For this reason, the president of the municipal council of Ciénaga, Eduardo Ochoa Martínez, expressed his gratitude for Drummond’s invitation as it allowed them to get to know the operation close up and also the commitment of the company to the integral development of its neighboring communities. “It was a very enriching experience as it allowed us to learn about each of the processes carried out in this company, and it also opened its doors in order to work together for the progress of our municipality,” said Ochoa at the end of the day.
Mayor Edgardo Pérez took advantage of the event to announce to those present the new support Ciénaga will receive from the company. “Today I want to inform you that thanks to Drummond we will be able to continue supporting our young soccer players. The company will provide funds to support and finance four soccer teams in the sub‑17 category that with work and effort have managed to achieve consolidation.”
The official also said that each of the projects that have materialized will continue to grow thanks to Drummond Ltd. which will permit the construction of a better society where “voices join together with a single desire that contributes to the mutual growth of each of the people who form the beautiful municipality of Ciénaga, where Drummond feels it is Ciénaga and Ciénaga feels it is Drummond,” said the mayor.
For his part, the Community Relations Manager, Alfredo Araújo Castro, supported what the mayor said and thanked the officials for having accepted the invitation. “For us it is important to have you here today because sharing these projects with each of you allows us to continue contributing much more to the communities of Ciénaga, because only if the work is done with joint effort will the results be, successful,” said Araújo Castro.
Those present at this event agreed with the conclusion stated by the mayor. “This visit sets a precedent so that from this meeting the authorities of the municipality of Ciénaga and the company will become a work team that permits each one, from its own space, to contribute to the progress of our people,” said Pérez.
This visit is the starting point of projects that will be carried out in an articulated way during 2016 for the wellbeing of the inhabitants of Ciénaga. It is an example of the daily commitment of the company to support and benefit the communities that form its operations.
