Life with cement
The role of cement as a key component in any kind of construction is often overlooked. Perhaps it is because its versatility goes unnoticed when incorporated with other building materials. Or maybe it is because when structures are completed, cement takes a backseat to the “wow” and the glamour of the finished product. Nevertheless, cement cannot relinquish its importance as a primary building block for such endeavors.
The bottom line is that we are surrounded by cement. The roads our automobiles travel on every day are made of the stuff. The same goes for bridges, flyovers, and pedestrian overpasses. Towering buildings and edifices all over the country, especially in central business districts, showcase the potential that cement offers. Even our homes have a lot of cement in them. We just don’t really notice it that much.
On a road trip through Northern Luzon, Holcim, a leading name in the cement industry, took the liberty of showcasing noteworthy projects made possible by their products. The significance of cement during this excursion was surely solidified.
SCTEX: A Tale Of Cement
After a drive along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX,) the caravan exited to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, or SCTEX, on the way to Mabalacat, Pampanga. The SCTEX, the country’s longest toll expressway, a 94-kilometer, four-lane road, used an estimated 4.5 million bags of Holcim cement. That’s a lot of cement.
Currently, the SCTEX serves as an industry backbone, providing quicker access to the Subic Freeport and Special Economic Zone, and the Central Techno Park in Tarlac.
Many may not be fully aware of Holcim’s direct involvement in such a gargantuan undertaking, but surely one cannot disagree with the fact that cement is what made this national landmark of progress possible.
Xevera Homes: Quality Homes Towards Nation-Building
Many eyebrows were raised upon the sight of a mini theme park in the middle of Mabalacat, Pampanga. The facility is complete with a merry-go-round and one of those boats that swings in a pendulum-like motion. Entering the gate beside it, the group noticed several rows of townhouses in close proximity. This subdivision, Xevera Homes, is a middle-income housing project made possible through the partnership of Holcim and Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. Xevera Homes is the brainchild of Delfin Lee, CEO of Globe Asiatique, whose motto is: “Community building is the first step to nation-building.”
In the past you would have definitely not noticed the plot of land upon which Xevera Homes is located. This area was severely affected after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and for the longest time was covered in lahar. Now, after some development, it is a progressive community that boasts its own clubhouse, swimming pool, badminton and basketball courts, shopping arcade, and, of course, its very own theme park. The 45-square-meter, two-floor townhouse units are available to members of the Pag-Ibig Fund, and offer monthly amortizations as low as P5,000. The community also offers free CHED-approved schooling for children and livelihood programs for older residents.
“When people say ‘low-cost housing,’ images of poorly built structures and dangerous communities come to mind,” Lee says. “We want to change that. We offer safe, affordable, and quality living spaces at Xevera Homes in the hopes of changing the lives of hard working Filipinos.” With the strict rules the subdivision has, “Residents can’t walk around shirtless; they can’t hang their laundry out in the open and cook on the streets. When people respect their surroundings, they respect others and themselves. By doing so, they build a respectable community, and that is where nation-building begins,” he continues.
Currently, some 300 families reside at Xevera Homes in Mabalacat. The homes are built only upon the request of interested parties, so there is no pre-selling. And, through the use of Holcim products, Lee says that he saves considerably on construction material costs without wasting time or compromising quality.
Manufacturing Cement While Winning Awards
Since its birth 90 years ago in Switzerland, Holcim has become one of the world’s leading suppliers of cement and construction materials. Holcim in the Philippines is the former Union Cement Corporation, and is the largest cement manufacturer in the country. It operates plants in Bulacan, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, and La Union.
After Xevera Homes, the convoy paid a visit to the Holcim La Union plant in Quirino, Bacnotan. The huge facility was recently awarded the Most Improved award for 2008 by the Zurich-based Holcim group, as well as the 2008 Likas Yaman Award for Environmental Excellence from the DENR Region-1. It was also recently recognized by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) for its zero lost time record in 2008.
A key ingredient in cement is limestone, a non-renewable source. And although Holcim met the standards of the PMSEA, that still doesn’t bring the limestone back. The company, however, tries to return to the environment in other ways. The trip to the cement plant was also a tree-building activity held for the corporate employees of Holcim from Manila.
The La Union plant also engages in community relations initiatives such as mushroom farming and sea urchin “ranching” in the hopes of developing a sustainable livelihood for members of the local community.
Dingras Church: Preserving The Past
La Union was only a pit stop before going on another drive, this time towards Vigan in Ilocos Sur, for the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Holcim and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP)-Vigan Chapter on the restoration of the historical Dingras Church in Ilocos Norte.
The activity took place in the heart of the Vigan town plaza, a World Heritage site, and was attended by members of both Holcim and the UAP. Rumor has it that there were plans to demolish the Dingras Church because it was deemed too badly damaged to be saved as a structure. Fortunately, however, the Spanish colonial church, built some time in the 1500s, was recognized to have great historical value by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP). They sought out partners to take part in the restoration (as opposed to “renovation”) of the church and Holcim, as their biggest partner in terms of building materials, was glad to oblige.
The restoration of the Dingras Church is a district effort between the different chapters of the UAP, including their respective groups from Pangasinan, La Union, the Cordillera, Bangued, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. All chapters felt a certain calling to lobby for the preservation of this church in the name of heritage conservation and responsibility in preserving legacies for future generations.
By doing research on the original mortar of the Dingras Church, Holcim is also taking it a step further. Through scientific investigation the company aims to identify and replicate the original chemical makeup of the centuries-old bricks in the hope of truly restoring this historical structure.
Holcim And The Philippines
The involvement of Holcim in the improvement of the Philippine situation seems to cover all angles. Its birth out of the merger of three cement companies in 2000 (namely Hi Cement Corporation, Davao Union Cement Corporation, and Bacnotan Cement Corporation,) has created a company that shows how truly committed it is to the Filipino people. Through this Northern Luzon road trip, Holcim has shown how it has been active in preserving the past, improving the present, and shaping the future of the Philippines.
The road trip also shed light on yet another project: a potential tie-up with the local governments of La Union and Ilocos Sur for the speedy construction of their highway. Undergoing major repairs, the now single-lane roads from La Union on the way to the Ilocos region make travel to the area just too slow and tiring. Maybe Holcim can do something about this to help speed things up. Just a suggestion.
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For more information about Holcim, visit their website at www.holcim.com/ph
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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.
