Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) said it expects to create 9,000 jobs for its Tampakan Copper-Gold project in South Cotabato goes into full blast operation.

This was released recently in a fact sheet mapping out the current status and the future of the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project (TCGP) the only existing project in the Philippines holding a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA).

The FTAA is touted to be biggest single foreign investment in the country since the Camago-Malampaya Project and shall be the focus of the public-private sector partnership agenda of the Aquino administration.

According to the recently released fact sheet, the Tampakan project needs 9,000 workers during the construction phase, which will start in 2015, and another 2,000 for the maintenance of the copper mine and its facilities. South Cotabato gets priority over the selection of potential workers for the project, SMI said. So far, 90% of SMI’s employees come from South Cotabato. The project is expected to be in full commercial operation in

“We welcome this good news,” says South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce (SCCI) President Orlando dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz said this is more than the number of jobs available for the province, but the increase of the purchasing power of these workers will result in a more robust local economy.

“We can supply these workers for construction, road works and even office employees. We have the talent and the supply.” Dela Cruz is confident and bullish about the news.

According to Dela Cruz, the existence of the need for such a big number of labor force will redefine the economic panorama of the province of South Cotabato.

“We need the local government unit, local, provincial and national, and the industry to make sure that this project pushes through and the potentials be realized,” Dela Cruz said.