Safety is a way of life in Shell communities
MANILA, Philippines - In Tabangao, Batangas, Shell fuel trucks painted with the warning “Flammable†are a common sight, but the company actually adheres to the safest and most reliable business operations standards?
No less than the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declared Shell an invaluable safety partner during its recent 22nd anniversary, citing the Shell Tabangao Refinery and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX), along with the Batangas City Government and Tabangao’s Barangay Ambulong, among 25 local government units and eight private partners for constantly supporting the BFP.
For Shell, being cited along its government partners affirms the success of its orientation toward multisectoral collaboration, best expressed in its public-private partnership (PPP) initiative between and among Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC)—through its social development arm the Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc. (PSFI)—and the Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), working with various government and nongovernment organizations in Batangas City to promote safety beyond the workplace and into its neighboring communities.
“People assume that where there’s oil, there’s fire. But they have to see that oil firms cannot operate, more so thrive, in an unsafe environment. Safety is part of our culture in Shell, but it doesn’t mean much to our neighbors unless we manifest safety in ways that are meaningful to them,†explains the refinery’s operations manager Andrew Castueras.
Shell, being a global leader in power, energy, and gas technology, continuously works to meet increasing energy demand and supply challenges by delivering smarter products and cleaner energy, smarter infrastructure, promoting smarter use, and by developing new energy sources all while addressing the impact on the environment, through cleaner burning-natural gas and advanced fuels and lubricants technology. Most importantly, at its operations, Shell aims to address social concerns and works to benefit local communities, protecting its reputation as it does business.
Last April, Shell inaugurated a fire sub-station located in Brgy. Ambulong, marking a first for PPP for public safety in the country.
The community fire station, built through the efforts of PSPC, Malampaya Joint Venture Partners, the Batangas City Government, Brgy. Ambulong and the BFP–Batangas City, is expected to speed up response or rescue during emergencies not only in Ambulong, but also in 11 other coastal barangays nearby.
“It will now be easy for us to respond in case of fire incidents,†said Ambulong barangay chairman Jayferson Berberabe, citing Ambulong’s distance of some eight kilometers from the city proper, where the main fire station is located.
The proximity of the fire sub-station to the Shell refinery and Malampaya On-shore Gas Plant (MOGP) also assures residents that regular calibration will be done on the fire apparatus systems of both facilities to ensure that these are in top firefighting form.
Shell helped fund the construction of the facility while Batangas City and Brgy. Ambulong provided the lot area, office equipment and personnel. The BFP–Batangas City operates and mans the sub-station with the support of the Neighborhood and Emergency Services Team (NEST), a community volunteer group trained and organized by Shell.
