PEZA-MEZ Balik-Baterya Program Launching with PBSP, OMMC

PEZA-MEZ Balik-Baterya Program Launching with PBSP, OMMC

New-found partnership promises more ULABs, LRCs for the Visayas

In a unified call for environment protection, the Philippine Export Zone Authority-Mactan Economic Zone (PEZA-MEZ) and its locators formally sealed its commitment to support the Balik-Baterya Program by donating all its used batteries for the cause.

The commitment was sealed through an agreement signed between PEZA-MEZ and Balik-Baterya’s coordinators Oriental & Motolite Marketing Corporation (OMMC) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

  OMMC CSR Head Eman Ragaza, PEZA-MEZ CSR Head Engr. Rolando Patalinghug, PEZA-MEZ Environment, Health and Safety Chief Orlando Fuentes and PBSP Senior Program Officer Olive Jabido sign the MOA to signify PEZA-MEZ’s commitment to support the Balik-Baterya Program.

During the activity, PEZA-MEZ Department Manager of Operations Atty. Rufino San Juan IV assured PBSP and OMMC that the newfound partnership will continue to gather more locators to donate their used lead acid batteries to the program.

“With the help of the organizers, the very things we consider wastes like used batteries can help provide for the foundation of our children's future. This project may not be able to put back power into the used batteries, but the used batteries can put power in the minds of thousands of children,” he said.

“This (partnership) is a ‘solution within a solution’. The program enables us to address an environmental concern while helping us support better education for the schoolchildren. By having PRI and Motolite as partners, we know that our ULABs are properly treated and disposed of. Equally important, having PBSP with the program assures us of a sustainable and worthwhile development for the children,” PEZA-MEZ Environment, Health and Safety Officer Verna Luz Daño added.

 

 Motolite's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Head Eman Ragaza discussed into detail the Balik-Baterya Program to the locators that joined the forum, MOA signing and collection event.

 

Launched in 2006, the Motolite-PBSP Balik-Baterya Program intends to protect the environment through proper disposal and recycling of used lead acid batteries (ULABs) as well as improve the quality of learning among pupils.

ULABs donated by companies are bought by OMMC and the proceeds are used to fund the establishment of learning resource centers (LRCs), which take the form of mini-libraries that include a table, chairs and a bookshelf filled with books and supplementary instructional materials on basic academic subjects.

The signing of the MOA also marked the start of collection of used batteries donated by the 20 PEZA-MEZ locators.

The donation, worth more than 16 tons, could generate more than PhP 380,000.00, enough to fund for at least nine LRCs.

 Employees from Oriental and Motolite Marketing Corporation collect ULABs donated by locators of PEZA-MEZ for the Balik-Baterya Program. The batteries will be transported to Philippine Recyclers, Inc. for proper disposal and waste treatment. 

To make the program more sustainable, PEZA-MEZ plans to schedule quarterly collections for its locators in a year.

“This program focuses on the concerted effort among MEZ locators. No matter how small the amount of ULABs a locator commits for this program, when taken together, the difference these locators make to the environment and to the schoolchildren are much more significant,” Daño said.

Locators that already joined PEZA-MEZ for the Balik-Baterya Program include Accuform, Inc., Cebu Chip Connection, Cebu Iwakami Corporation, Euro-CB (Phils). Inc., Halsangz Plating Cebu Corp, HPOI Corporation, KGS Phils. Corp., Lear Corporation, Lexmark International Phils., Inc., MSM Cebu, Inc.,  NKC Mfg. Phils. Corp., Olympus Optical Products Philippines, Inc., SAWO Inc., Taiyo Yuden Phils., Inc., Philippine Tonan Corporation, Pacific Aeronautical, Inc., Philippines Light-Leather, Inc., Cebu Logitem, Inc., Ina Micro Opto Corp. and Toa Kiko Cebu Corporation.

For more photos of the PEZA-MEZ Balik-Baterya Launching, click on the 

following icons for the links: