Taiheiyo, Solid Earth renew commitment to San Fernando in social developments
Approved. Movers at Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. and Solid Earth Development Corp. and their stakeholders' representatives give the thumbs up sign to show imprimatur to the plan social development programs of both companies for this year, 2020.

Taiheiyo, Solid Earth renew commitment to San Fernando in social developments

SAN FERNANDO, Cebu (January 30, 2020) — Two allied industrial operators renewed and further augmented their commitment to stakeholders in 13 barangays in San Fernando, Cebu with more sustainable programs, projects and activities in 2020.

Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) and its primary supplier of minerals, Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC), jointly consulted community and academic leaders last Oct. 30 at the TCPI conference hall.

The output will become part of their separate Social Development Management Programs (SDMP) that, as it had been over the years, “bring sustainable growth in our communities,” noted community relations officer Gines T. Boltron.

Chiyuki Sugawara, TCPI plant manager and senior vice president for operations, and SEDC president Atty. Dennis Tenefrancia opened the Annual Stakeholders Meeting, setting the tone of their pledge to “build better communities.”

“We aim for the gradual upliftment of the standard of living of marginalized communities residing in our host and neighboring barangays affected by our operations,” said Boltron as he presented the year-to-date SDMP accomplishments of SEDC in 2019.

As he did, his TCPI counterpart Vanessa N. Bongcawil presented the proposed plans, programs and activities (PPA) for 2020 that the stakeholders representatives accepted and agreed to.

“The education sector just sought a special request to consider garden tools as part of our support for Brigada Eskwela” before school year 2020-2021 begins in June, disclosed Mitzie Almira I. Carin, SEDC HRA division manager.

Uplift lives

Representing San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya, municipal administrator Neil L. Papas complimented TCPI and SEDC for their initiatives as he shared his experience when he worked for the pre-TCPI Grand Cement Manufacturing Corp.

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 requires mining companies to allocate funds for programs and projects that can help uplift the lives of their host communities and neighboring areas.

Attuned to it, both firms undertook their PPA’s, aimed to continue some items. and would introduce new initiatives under human resource development and institutional building, as well as enterprise development and networking.

Others are classified under assistance to infrastructure development and support service, access to education and educational support, and access to health services, facilities and professionals.

There are also PPA’s meant for the protection and respect of socio-cultural values, development of mining technology and geosciences, and the implementation of information, education and communication activities.

Those that TCPI and SEDC were able to create impact to the townsfolk included the series of medical missions, tree growing and clean-up activities, donation of a service bus to the local Department of Education district, and scholarship to secondary and college students.

TCPI expanded the goat raising livelihood program in Tonggo and Tinubdan, and continued the implementation of the sewing livelihood program in Barangays Panadtaran and North Poblacion.

The company also gave the town’s 21 barangays 500 bags of cement each for road concreting projects, plus another 500 bags to St. Isidore Parish for the construction of a 2-storey parish rectory building.

Stakeholders. Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) community and general affairs section head Vanessa N. Bongcawil facilitates the annual consultative meeting with stakeholders of TCPI and Solid Earth Development Corp. to validate plans for social development in San Fernando within the year 2020.

Despite CoViD-19

Meanwhile, SEDC continued with the development of SEDC-St. Augustine Eco-Pilgrimage Park in Magsico, as well as its backyard hog raising livelihood program in Tonggo.

It donated a lot for the Cabatbatan health station, and another for the South Poblacion multi-purpose building, while it helped cement barangay roads in Tonggo, Magsico and Bugho, and helped improve the North Poblacion barangay hall and Panadtaran day care center.

For 2020, both firms intend to pilot in Tonggo a skills development training for the youth, introduce inland fishery in Ylaya and organic farming in Magsico and Bugho, and will assist in constructing a dog-impounding facility in Magsico.

(Update: April 15, 2020)

Bongcawil and Carin reaffirmed their commitments despite the delay in the implementation of some items when government enforced an enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (CoViD-19).

Despite the outbreak, beneficiaries of the sewing livelihood program took the opportunity to sew cloth face masks and continued sewing cleaning rags, following quarantine rules like the use of face masks and observing social distancing.