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), had jointly consulted community and academic leaders at the TCPI conference hall before the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
The output became 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 Boltron.
Chiyuki Sugawara, TCPI plant manager and senior vice president for operations, and SEDC president Dennis Tenefrancia, a lawyer, opened the Annual Stakeholders Meeting. They set 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.
Boltron’s TCPI counterpart Vanessa N. Bongcawil presented the proposed plans, programs and activities (PPA) for 2020 that the stakeholders representatives accepted.
“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, disclosed Mitzie Almira Carin, SEDC division manager for human resources and administration.
Both firms intend to pilot in Tonggo (a skills development training for the youth), introduce inland fishery in Barangay Ilaya and organic farming in Barangays Magsico and Bugho, and assist in constructing a dog-impounding facility in Barangay Magsico.
Bongcawil and Carin reaffirmed their commitments despite the delay in the implementation of some items when the government enforced the community quarantine to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Despite the Covid-19 crisis, beneficiaries of the sewing livelihood program took the opportunity to sew cloth masks. They also sewed cleaning rags without breaking quarantine rules like wearing masks and observing social distancing.