October 5, 2016
The RCN classic bike race began in the central part of the country and continued its journey until reaching the Colombian Atlantic coast. In its passing through the communities of Cesar, the race was supported by Drummond Ltd.
During the seventh stage of the classic bike race, the RCN radio caravan showcased some of the projects that have contributed to the development and conservation of the region, including Drummond’s.
Similarly, when passing through Las Palmitas and La Jagua de Ibirico, Mr. Alberto Mercado, a reporter from RCN, interviewed Mr. Armando Calvano, the director of the Environmental Compensation Program who spoke about the water conservation projects in the Perijá mountain range. “We have to prepare the land for post-mining, for it is in the highlands of Perijá, where the water originates. The lowland utilizes the water by tapped it in agricultural activities and by human consumption. If we do not take into account the highlands where the water is indeed regulated and the forests are being protected, then in the future we are going to have a very large desert in the center region of Cesar.”
Mr. Calvano also stated, “we have to mitigate or compensate for the environmental impacts.” He clarified how that process is being carried out.
“Our compensation requirement includes planting trees on 14,000 hectares. Instead of just planting trees, we are currently working on a larger plan that includes 30,000 hectares and many farmers who have returned to the region. This makes the land dually purposeful through efforts to both improve their way of life and by protecting areas that regulate water they utilize in farming. We want to ensure that they have adequate productive systems, so that they may not only have an assured food supply, but also an adequate commercialization process.”
Similarly, when crossing the finish line in Valledupar, the Manager of the Communities, Mr. Alfredo Araújo stated: “Of all the Social Responsibility programs, education is our flagship program and the program covers early childhood education,
construction of Children Development Centers and university scholarship programs, among others. This has enabled us to have extraordinary results: more than 560 classrooms built, more than 28 dining halls built in our area of influence, more than 90 professionals have graduated thanks to out scholarships program, and currently more than 600 youngsters have graduated from official schools from the mining area, work in the company through a training course as operation technicians.
In terms of Drummond’s alliances to overcome poverty, Araújo explained: “We have just signed an agreement with the Department of Social Prosperity, to carry out a series of programs both in Cesar as well as in Magdalena. We will invest more than 4 billion Colombian pesos in the housing improvement program in towns as La Aurora in Chiriguaná, La Loma in the municipality of El Paso and Casacará in the municipality of Codazzi, and in the town of Ciénaga in Magdalena. Likewise we are working on productive projects alongside them and we will continue to strengthen the program of the Children Development Centers.”
Mr. Araújo also explained “coal is 47% of the GDP of the Department of Cesar which generates a significant boost for the economy.
In regards to the bike competition, Mr. Alfredo Araújo stated: “We are pleased that you are in Cesar, because follow and we practice cycling.”
Like Drummond, other companies joined this sports activity to welcome the cyclists and to show their support of the sport. This is this the first time that the classic bike race has visited Valledupar in past 52 years.
