In partnership with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the City Government of Muntinlupa, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) recently formally committed to look after the cleanliness and beautification of the Magdaong River as part of the Adopt-A-River Project. The program allows for the collaboration between local government units, private sector organizations, and residential communities towards cleaner and safer waterways. The Adopt-A-River Project is also supervised by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
Last month, PCPPI volunteers joined members of the Muntinlupa City’s Lake Management Office (LMO) and Environmental Sanitation Center (ESC), the LLDA, and the DENR’s “Estero Rangers” to clean up a portion of the Magdaong River perpendicular to the Poblacion Bridge in Sto. Nino Village. Before the activity, PCPPI’s employees set up safety rails and solar-powered LED lights, and even painted a colourful wall mural by the aforementioned bridge. Volunteers also donated and planted Indian trees by the bridge to enrich the soil further ahead of the rainy season.
The photo above shows volunteers from Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) – Metro Operations Services team with representatives from the City Government of Muntinlupa, the Laguna Lake Development Authority, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in front of the company’s colorful mural-marker along the Magdaong River in Sto. Nino, Muntinlupa City.
Water remains the world’s top resource, as industry and community benefit from having access to clean, sustainable supply. Among the environmental commitments of Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI), the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country, is practicing sound, responsible methods that help manage its use of water in collaboration with its various stakeholders.
The 22nd of March marks the commemoration of World Water Day, and aside from implementing industry best practices and policies, PCPPI encourages process improvement to further optimize how water is utilized across all areas of operations. “Upholding our commitment to responsible water stewardship goes beyond having the systems and protocols in place that allow our teams to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Our employees are encouraged to embrace innovation as part of our advocacy,” said PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick D. Ong.
Strategic plans supported by strong partnerships
The water resource management policies of PCCPI are embodied in the Luntiang Yaman program, which covers the organization’s sustainability efforts. These include the 3Rs approach to manage water consumption: reduce, re-use, and recycle. Other than reducing water use, PCPPI also has protocols in place to optimize electricity use, optimize fuel yield, manage solid waste output, and community engagement.
PCCPI also works with government authorities in the communities where it operates. For example, the organization actively works with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to periodically assess the health of the waterways in the communities they operate alongside multi-sectoral groups.
Sto. Tomas: Shifting the traditional mindset
PCPPI’s commitment to responsible water management is demonstrated in its manufacturing facilities, particularly in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The plant has twice-received PCPPI’s Galing at Sikap Plant Excellence Award in Sustainability in 2021 and 2022. This recognition is given to the business units with the highest performance ratings on key focus areas of operations, including environmental resource management. “The Sto. Tomas facility was lauded for its efforts in consuming water and energy in the most economical way, thereby minimizing environmental impact,” Ong added.
According to Plant Manager Chrysler Salcedo, one of the best practices at work at the Sto. Tomas plant includes setting definitive operating hours for optimum target volume of water required, both for the products to be manufactured and for its manpower’s daily water consumption. This encourages all employees to become more mindful in their water use in daily operations. Regular training sessions on resource conservation are also scheduled, and serve as checkpoint meetings where employees can proactively address potential areas of concern.
“Open communication and collaboration make even the most complex policies work. In Sto. Tomas, it remains important for our team to engage in discussions about how we can best manage the resources we look after: water, electricity, and oil, among others,” said Salcedo. “To become more effective in our industry, we recognize the value of implementing more creative, cost-efficient policies so that we can better serve our communities,” he added.
Strategic and planned updates in the Sto. Tomas plant have also been implemented to further manage how the facility consumes water, one of which involves decreasing the frequency of production line Clean-in-Place (CIP) procedures. These pertain to the overall cleaning of equipment used after continuous production. “We shifted to a 72-hour cycle, which will allow us to save 780 liters of water a week. Combined with our stringent sanitation protocols, we are confident that our operations will continue to meet internal and industry standards while maximizing financial and resource savings,” Salcedo explained.
PCPPI is the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country. It distributes well-loved brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Sting, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Milkis, Chum Churum Soonhari, and Premier. For more information about PCPPI and its products, please visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.
