Care for environment seen good for business

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) has called on more companies to follow the lead of Smart Communication, Nestle Philippines, Unilever Philippines and other groups in the campaign to protect the environment.

PBEST said the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda, which left 6,300 fatalities, over a thousand missing and P571.1 billion in economic damage a year ago should serve as a reminder to companies that climate change is affecting the country.

“It is clear that businesses in the Philippines are responsible for glaring cases of environmental degradation, due to reckless, if not greedy, operations, on the one hand; and for concrete examples of ingenious environmental measures on the other. In both instances, the effect on the environment is undeniably massive,” said Atty. Ysan Castillo, secretary general of PBEST.

Castillo, however, said “big businesses are beginning to realize that integrating clean and safe environmental practices in their operations is a positive factor that will have long term benefits in lifting internal morale, public image and will definitely be good for business.”

“Philippine businesses must take an active role, if not the lead role, in promoting environmental stewardship,” PBEST said in a statement.

Marking its first year anniversary, PBEST was organized by a network of policy experts from the academe and business to actively participate in developmental policy reforms and advocacies that promote effective regulation of Philippine industries and ensure a more responsible stewardship of the environment that benefits all stakeholders.

Dr. CP David, PBEST Convenor, said “several mining companies have voluntarily opened up their operations by committing to the PBEST Environmental Performance Tracking Program.”

PBEST also cited as an example Smart Communication’s solid waste management initiative called Post-Marketing Waste Management Program, which was one of the winners in the Zero Basura Olympics (ZBO) for business, a competition that recognizes local companies with the most innovative practices in minimizing and eliminating waste. 

Under the program, Smart recycles tarpaulin materials used for advertising and publicity purposes nationwide and taps communities in its adopted Gawad Kalinga villages to craft the would-have-been non-biodegradable waste into well-made and designed usable tarp bags. 

PBEST also cited Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s plan to invest in a pilot waste-to-power project.

While in the pilot stage, the plant will generate an estimated two megawatts of energy and 10,000 liters of biodiesel a day and can be expanded to six megawatts later on.