Republic, Lafarge partner with CAC

Officials of the consortium of Republic Cement Corporation and Lafarge Holdings (Philippines), Inc. recently inked a Memorandum of Agreement with Concrete Aggregates Corporation (CAC) for the consortium’s acquisition of aggregates assets and the operation of CAC’s basalt quarry in Angono, Rizal.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Jose ‘Lito’ Atienza witnessed the ceremonial signing ceremony.

The transaction reinforces the position of Republic Cement, a Lafarge associated company, and enables it and Lafarge to enter the aggregates business in this growing market with an immediate significant presence in the cement markets already served by Republic — Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.

CAC bidded out the operations of its Angono quarry to take advantage of increased materials demand buoyed by a growing local construction industry.

Secretary Atienza, a prime mover in the government’s drive to encourage an investor-friendly mining environment, expressed his appreciation for the commitment of the two parties in upholding environment standards and promoting environmental best practices in the operation of the basalt quarry.

The Republic Cement/Lafarge Holdings (Philippines) Inc. consortium will invest resources in the quarry operations and potentially spur business activity in the Angono area.

Cement plants of the Lafarge associated companies are multiple recipients of recognition for excellence in environment practice, safety and product quality. Among these are awards from the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) and ISO 14001, ISO 9001:2000 version and OHSAS 18001 certifications.