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CEBU CITY, Philippines - A cement company has turned itself from a major contributor to environmental problems in Naga City in the southern Cebu in the late 1990s to an environment-friendly company today.
Its proof — winning this year's Green Choice Philippines (GCP) award, which is given to Philippine manufacturers that adopt processes and supply products that have lesser adverse impact on the environment.
Winning the GCP award, gives the company, Apo Cement Corp. (Apocemco), the right to print the Green Choice Seal on its cement products — Apo Premium and Apo Pozzolan.
“The Green Choice logo demonstrates the products’ sound environmental performance and the manufacturers’ commitment to protect the environment,” said Jesus L. Motoomull, director of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Bureau of Product Standards (BPS).
Darwin Mariano, Cemex Philippines public affairs director, said the seal has positively affected their businesses.
Cemex, which is an internationally recognized cement manufacturer and distributor, manages the Apocemco plant in Barangay (village) Tina-an, Naga City.
“With the Green Choice seal, people realize that we in Cemex walk the talk – that we try to help the environment every way we can at every possible opportunity,” Mariano said.
Mariano said the GCP award encourages businesses to be environmentally responsible.
He said that with the award, he expects more environmentally aware consumers to patronize their products.
The GCP was created by the Eco-labeling Program (ELP) Board of the Philippines.
It is a voluntary environmental labeling program initiated in 2002, which aims “to promote the use and manufacturing of products and services that has less negative impacts to the environment and to complement government environmental policies.
A Green Choice seal is printed on the packaging of the products of the awardees.
Apocemco is “one of the oldest cement companies in the Philippines,” tracing its roots to the Cebu Portland Cement Company formed in 1921, said Mariano.
Cemex Philippines obtained a stake in Apocemco in 1999. Cemex then started the company's transformation from a major polluter in the community to an eco-friendly firm.
“Environmental conservation is a core philosophy of Cemex here and elsewhere in the world,” Mariano said.
Cemex conducted a study in 2003 which showed that the Apocemco plant in Barangay Tina-an, Naga City was causing pollution that posed risk to health and environment.
Cemex then started putting in place several mechanisms and created programs to ensure that Apocemco would stop being a pollutant.
The efforts paid off. Cemex in its first year of managing Apocemco received the Philippine Mineral Industry Environment Award (PMIEA) for its environmental-friendly quarry operations. PMIEA is an award given by the President of the Philippines to industries “with an excellent environmental performance.”
This year's GCP award is latest proof of its efforts.
“The Green Choice seal of approval is a clear indication that our business commitment goes beyond providing our consumers quality products but extends to upholding our active participation in environmental protection and conservation” said Paul Victor Aquino, Cemex Philippines vice president.
Under the Green Choice guidelines, Cemex has to demonstrate three things in order to obtain the seal. These were compliance with the applicable Philippine National Standards and with all applicable environmental laws and regulations; and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent per unit output.
The Apocemco plant reduced its greenhouse gas emissions through projects that seek to improve the quality of their cement products while at the same time reducing the clinker content, which is the most energy-intensive component for cement production.
Clinker is the raw material in cement production. Limestone is cooked under a very high temperature to produce clinker.
Mariano said many of their environmental initiatives began as early as 2002. These included adopting a butanding (whale shark) under its Adopt-A-Species program, waste management, coastal clean-ups and tree planting.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Sibbaluca, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional executive director, lauded the firm’s eco-friendly measures.
Sibbaluca attributed the substantial decrease of the Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) recorded in the fourth quarter of 2007 in a DENR air quality monitoring station in Naga City to the Apocemco measures.
In the late 1990s and early 2000, the Naga monitor recorded high levels of TSP, which are tiny airborne particles that are less than 100 micrometers. /With a report from Editorial Assistant Bernadette A. Parco
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The Green Business Section comes out every Monday of April in celebration of Earth Day which will be held on the 22nd of this month. The section features firms that have successfully incorporated environment-friendly practices in their business.
