DENR cites 8 companies in environmental award

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cited eight industrial establishments with exemplary environmental performance in its first Philippine Environment Partnership Program (PEPP) award.

Absolut Distillers, Inc. in Lian, Batangas; Analog Devices in Gen. Trias, Cavite; Nestle Phils. Cabuyao factory in Laguna; Nestle Phils. Lipa factory in Batangas; ON Semiconductor in Carmona, Cavite; ST Microelectronics in Calamba, Laguna; and PSI Technologies and Vishay Phils., Inc., both in Taguig City were given the awards earlier this week in ceremonies at the DENR office in Quezon City.

Lucio Tan, chairman of Absolut Distillers Inc., attended the event to personally receive the award.

“These companies are a model when it comes to environmental performance. Aside from having no case filed against them with the Pollution Adjudication Board for the past three years, they are also in compliance with all applicable environmental laws,” DENR Secretary Lito Atienza said.

“The companies were also proven to show superior environmental performance by a third party auditor,” he added.

PEPP is a program implemented by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), which pushes for “a paradigm shift in the environmental management strategy of the private sector” by encouraging them to undertake voluntary adherence to environmental laws and regulations.

The objective of PEPP is to support industries in the country as they move “towards self-regulation through improved environmental performance.”  

By providing them with a package of incentives and reward, the DENR hopes that business establishments, particularly small and medium enterprises, will adopt pollution prevention and cleaner production processes.

Other benefits of the program include the provision of regulatory privileges and assistance like relaxation of reportorial requirements and simplified requirements for securing an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for expansion projects.

As national winners, Atienza said that the companies, which all belong to category Track I, are allowed to use the DENR Official Seal of Approval in their packaging and advertising campaign to inform the public of their environment-friendly operations.

Track 1 industries are large companies that go beyond compliance and are driven by competitiveness, image and supply chain requirements to improve performance.   – Katherine Adraneda