MANILA, Philippines - “There are only two kinds of houses in the country today — one is a termite-infested home, and the other is a house that is about to get infested,” states Tony Sarmiento, president of the Pest Control Association of the Philippines (PCAP) and chairman and president of Julant Pest Control Systems Inc.
For a man who has been at the helm of the pest control industry and whose company has been serving a majority of the country’s real estate developments for the past 20 years now, Tony’s assertions could very well be taken as gospel truth.
Having been involved in the pest control business since 1989, Tony has practically seen all kinds of construction — from individual homes and subdivisions to landmark buildings like Walter Mart and major real estate projects of Ayala Land like Serendra and Anvaya Cove, DMCI Homes and Robinsons Land Inc., to resort-inspired developments such as the Shangri-la in Boracay, and more recently, the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City.
In all these projects, Tony is confident that the patented termite control system he has helped develop and install (called the “Julant Anti-termite Reticulation System”) will give its owners peace of mind, knowing that their property is safe from termite attacks. Well, at least until the next termite prevention and control application needs to be scheduled, since the effectiveness of today’s termiticides (or termite control products) is usually two years from date of first application.
But the question most developers should ask is, “What happens after two years?” Tony is quick to point out that if today’s property developments require millions or even billions of pesos to construct, then investing in a safe and proven termiticide which costs just a fraction of the building’s cost ought to be considered as well.
“Termite control is not just a one-time thing,” explains Tony. “It is actually a continuing program where you need to have a built-in system that you can use for the rest of your building’s life.”
To ensure that his company would be able to protect more homes from termite attacks, Tony’s group recently formed an alliance with multinational chemical-maker BASF and its local distributor for Stedfast, Upgreen Corporation, in leading an environment-friendly extermination campaign against termite infestation.
BASF, through its wholly-owned subsidiary in the Philippines, currently provides leading manufacturing firms in the country with approximately 8,000 BASF-produced products. And from supplying raw materials, adhesives, process chemicals, colorants and dyestuffs to the country’s post-war industries, the company has since expanded its product line to include pesticides, chemicals and fertilizers.
Stedfast, one of BASF’s leading pesticide products today, is a pre-construction soil and wood treatment termiticide that offers continuous chemical barrier in surrounding soils and beneath structures. When termites attempt to penetrate through the treated soil, the termites either get killed or are repelled — and Stedfast can actually make this happen without permanently poisoning the ground.
When asked why he decided to utilize Stedfast in his patented anti-termite reticulation system, Tony had this to say: “For one, I like Stedfast because it is a green-labeled termiticide. A green-label chemical indicates that it is in the safest category. Most other termiticides are labeled red, yellow and blue, which are more toxic.”
Stedfast has also proven to be effective against termites without being expensive. With a dilution rate of one liter Stedfast per 250 liters of water, pest control operators can now treat a bigger ground area with Stedfast. Other termiticides can only be diluted by up to 50 liters of water.
Another advantage of Stedfast is that it is the only termiticide approved and licensed by the Fertilizer & Pesticide Authority (FPA) for use in both wood and soil. Its price is also just a little over half the price of the second leading termiticide.
Furthermore, Stedfast is biodegradable and is not harmful to the environment, making it ideal for homes and properties. Stedfast contains a highly-resolved pyrethroid which is toxic to all termite species. And unlike older products, it is also especially formulated to be more than.
“Sa ngayon, pinakamarami pa rin ang gumagamit ng Stedfast” (which has at least an 80-percent market share). But after our alliance with BASF, I am sure many more construction companies will also be using Stedfast,” adds Tony with a smile, “especially since the market is now looking at economy of scale.”
BASF Philippines, Inc., the wholly-owned subsidiary of BASF, currently serves as a leading supplier of chemicals in the country for animal nutrition, cosmetics and food industries, human nutrition and pharma solutions; specialty chemicals for detergents; plastics; polymer dispersions for coatings and adhesive industries; and agricultural products. To know more about the company and its wide range of products, visit www.asiapacific.basf.com or call (63-49) 549-0001 / (632) 889-4321.