Epson to promote sustainability with additional investments

MANILA, Philippines — Technology firm Epson plans to invest in additional manufacturing operations in Batangas and encourage the use of products that promote sustainability.

Jester Cruz, senior regional manager for business inkjet division (Southeast Asia headquarters) at Epson Singapore, said in a virtual briefing the company is expected to continue making investments in the Batangas facility.

“Epson has always seen the Philippines as a strategic location. And that’s why in terms of investment, a lot has been given the past few years, even decades... That will, safe to say, continue on,” he said.

Epson Philippines Corp. general manager Eduardo Bonoan  said the company has made a significant investment for the Batangas manufacturing facility’s shift to 100 percent renewable energy in January last year.

He said the shift was achieved by generating power with a rooftop mega solar power plant and switching to a mix of geothermal and hydroelectric power.

“There is still room for expansion at the Batangas plant. So, this being a premier manufacturing plant, you can imagine that all of this will continue on and this will become like almost a trademark, benchmark for manufacturing because it is the premier and the largest plant in the Epson world,” he said.

In line with its commitment to promote sustainability, the firm is offering products that will help promote energy conservation while helping businesses have efficient operations.

Among the products being offered by the company are inkjet printers, which Cruz said, consume less energy compared to laser printers.

In particular, he said 85 percent less energy is needed to power inkjet printers.

Apart from offering sustainable products, the company has also partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to undertake initiatives in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries  on marine conservation and climate action projects.

In the Philippines, Bonoan said Epson would support WWF in working  with local communities in Southern Palawan to restore several mangrove sites,including seed planting, monitoring, and coastal resource management.

He said Epson would also support WWF in establishing a community learning and innovation hub to empower communities to sustain capacity building and share best practices.

Epson and WWF are likewise set to launch an environment-centric virtual museum to provide Filipinos an interactive way to be reminded of their role in addressing climate change.

“Epson’s commitment to sustainability has always been integrated in the way we operate in the products and solutions that we innovate and in the initiatives we do to help our community shape a greener future for the next generation,” Bonoan said.