TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc.'s (TVIRD) design of its Sustainable Livelihood initiatives under its Quadrants of Development involves an assessment of community assets, adaptive strategies and technologies, and the analysis of policies and investment requirements, to enhance livelihood opportunities of beneficiaries. The Company believes that livelihood can be sustainable if it can cope with and recover from stress - such as, for instance, the end of the mine life - maintain and enhance its capabilities, and provide sustainable opportunities for the next generation.

TVIRD’s Sustainable Livelihood approach takes into consideration the community's strengths. This approach acknowledges that communities are both catalysts and subjects of change and that they have much strength and much knowledge about their own situation. This approach places a strong emphasis on sustainability in terms of economics, the environment and the social well being of people in the community. It uses empowerment rather than welfare, improves the productivity of existing livelihood systems and creates new opportunities on a sustainable basis.

A prime example of this approach is TVIRD’s Farmer-Instructor Technician ("FIT") program, a livelihood-through-agroforestry component of the Company’s Social Development and Management Plan for the Subanon indigenous people ("IP") hosts of TVIRD in Canatuan. Under FIT, the once semi-nomadic Subanons, who were used to the traditional - and destructive - slash-and-burn farming method, demonstrated that they can easily adapt to the irrigated multi-cropping scheme using the rice terraces farming technology - the same technology applied by generations of Ifugao IPs in the mountainous terrains of the Northern Philippines.

To further work for the empowerment of its beneficiaries, TVIRD will develop indicators to measure improvements in the host communities’ livelihood systems and the sustainability of these systems.