An engineer, a geologist, a teacher, and a mother, Engr. Janice A. Wayan is currently a Senior Technical Resource Engineer for Paramina Earth Technologies Inc. and a part-time lecturer at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. She holds two undergraduate degrees – Geology and Mining Engineering, the latter of which she completed while being fully employed and as a mother to her child. A journey full of ups and downs, Engr. Janice’s story is one we can all take inspiration from.

As an incoming freshman to Diliman back in 2000, Engr. Wayan initially applied and passed for the BS Architecture program but had to opt for a science and technology-oriented major due to her DOST scholarship. As one of the degree programs that had available slots at the time, this led to her taking and eventually finishing a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Before finishing her first degree, she had already begun work as a Geology Technical Assistant.

“Just so happened na may bagong exploration permit na iniissue ang MGB,”

Engr. Wayan’s first contact with the mining industry came during a lull, as according to her, only positions in the academe or the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) were available at the time. As a Technical Assistant working in the Oil & Gas industry, she had her break when then Metals Expolation PLC opened field geologist jobs for their exploration project in Nueva Vizcaya. During her tenure (2007-2019), she participated in multiple stages of the mine’s cycle: from exploration, commissioning, and eventual production..

“Di naman sa pagmamayabang, pero part ako ng success ng FCF.”

Her competency eventually led to her taking roles in supervising mine geology, engineering, and planning. She was then encouraged to take formal mining engineering education, as only licensed mining engineers are allowed to practice within the mining industry. With the mine manager’s support, Engr. Wayan applied to two universities, Saint Louis University and University of the Philippines-Diliman. She eventually went with the latter, citing logistical difficulties and a lower number of units taken due to her previous educational background as a Geology student at the same university.

“Four days in UP and three days on site, travelling in between.” she elaborated.

         Though the onset of the pandemic presented challenges to everyone involved, the unique circumstances it developed proved useful for Engr. Wayan. The 6-to-6 working schedule she had allowed her to work and study at the same time. This schedule, as advantageous as it was, still wore her down. It led to Engr. Wayan second-guessing if this was really what she wanted to do and if it was worth it after all. This was further compounded by how she needed to choose between fully focusing on either her work or her studies, but with the catch that she couldn’t continue her work either way due to the lack of an EM license. Engr. Wayan eventually decided to continue her studies after discussing with her family.

“What do I really wanna do? Mangulit sa PRB for the board exams? I have been working for 13-14 years in the mining industry, from 2007-2019, I have been involved in the development, construction, and stripping of the mine.” she shared.

         When the pandemic happened, Engr. Wayan was in lockdown for a little over five months. Their period of release was uncertain, thanks again to the strict requirements for leaving and entering the mine site at the time. 

         Engr. Wayan eventually parted ways with FCF in November 2020, around the same time that she applied for UP MINERS. She was eventually hired by Paramina, and their work-from-home setup proved advantageous to her as it let her managed her time and  balance taking care of her son while also doing her studies without compromising the other. She completed her mining engineering degree and graduated in August 2023, passing the board exams shortly after. At Paramina, her extensive experience meant she had a role as a Senior Technical Resource Engineer, making her uniquely qualified to aid mining companies due to her educational background. Aside from her job at Paramina, Engr. Wayan also began teaching at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering, covering topics related to mine planning, including Whittle and Surpac, which are essential software used by mining engineers in the field. 

“In order to make it work, class schedules are arranged every Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm, babyahe ako ng Friday night then magtuturo ng 6 hours then babyahe ulit papuntang Nueva Vizcaya, so I asked my self if ready ba ako sa ganitong setup.” she expressed.

         As part of her second undergraduate studies taking the BS Mining Engineering program, Engr. Wayan was part of the UP MINERS organization, the program’s sole academic organization. The organization proved to be a much-needed support system to Engr. Wayan, owing to the age gap between her and most of her peers. 

When asked whether UP MINERS was helpful during her stay, she stated:

“[It was] very helpful. When I started mining engineering, the block was a bunch of 19-year-olds with a 30+ geologist. I have no friends, pumupunta lang ako sa UP para magaral; subject ko lang dati is EEE3, EM 10, and an elective to get 12 units during that first sem.”

         Though Engr. Wayan managed to finish her degree in mining engineering amidst her responsibilities as a mother and her jobs at FCF and eventually Paramina; it was not without effect on her family life. During the semester when she was doing her thesis, the 50/50 face-to-face setup of her classes at the time led to difficulties in transportation. This led to her not coming home for up to 3 weeks at a time, and eventually resorting to bringing her child to her classes.

“Dumating yung point na iyak na sya nang iyak kasi feeling niya abandoned siya.”

         As a result of her long-standing career, Engr. Wayan has amassed a vast amount of experience and memories of working in the mining industry. Among these, her contributions to FCF Mineral Corporation were her proudest achievements. She remarked, “I was a part of the team na nagestablish talaga ng policies. Mine planning process, short term and long term.”. Due to her unique status as a double degree holder, she has developed a deep understanding of the geological aspects of a mine. She recounts, while looking at freshly dug out cut down areas, she could predict or guess the relative grades of ore based on the weathering and the location in the pit it came from. 

“Yung experience na yon di mo makukuha sa kahit na ano. Your experience helps you make informed decisions.”

For students who are unsure of the career opportunities presented by a Mining Engineering degree, Engr. Wayan assures that there are a lot of possibilities for mining engineers. As of the time of interview, she explained that gold is currently in a good state whilst nickel prices are experiencing a downturn. Aside from fully taking part in the industry, she mentioned that one can get positions in the academe or even the government. She personally has a preference for a position with a work-from-home setup, as even though directly working in a mine offers good pay, time spent with her child is invaluable.

         When asked about the current state of the industry and the new legislation currently at work, she remarked, “You can’t criticize something that you do not know of.” She elaborated that mining companies are subject to and regulated by multiple laws. Some of these laws also stipulate the payment of fees towards the government, so much so that Engr. Wayan stated that “all mining projects are government projects”, as the government profits more from these operations than the companies themselves. In addition to these points, she noted that the current roster of mining companies are environmental advocates, upholding what it means to mine responsibly. 

“Sustainability will always be a part of the mining industry,” she affirmed

         In response to the inquiry about how laws affect the industry, Engr. Wayan specified that fiscal policies, or how the government spends and taxes its citizens, have the biggest effect. She hoped that whatever fiscal regimes are implemented, the taxes generated would go to the proper beneficiaries, instead of being used in corrupt activities. Engr. Wayan emphasized that mining is a very dynamic industry; one has to start small and work from there.

In her words, “If you want to be a game changer in the industry, you have to start small. But that small step will have a big impact in the future.”