Earth Day celebration. Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) member-company, Oriental & Motolite Marketing Corporation (OMMC) recently joined the 35th National Annual Convention and General Assembly of the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PCAPI) in Baguio City to showcase the ‘Balik Baterya’ project. (From left) PCAPI president Joseph Dinglasan, Motolite CSR officer Connie Deligero and PCAPI president Jeremiah Dwight Sebastian.
THE MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) recently donated its used lead acid batteries (ULABs) to Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in support of the PBSP-Motolite Balik Baterya project.
The ULABs were valued at P484,102, according to PBSP data.
PBSP said the turnover ceremony held last April 22 at the Meralco compound in Pasig City was led by Meralco North Distribution Services head Gigi Aquino, One Meralco Foundation (OMF) president Jeffrey Tarayao, Oriental and Motolite Marketing Corp. corporate social responsibility officer Connie Deligero, and PBSP corporate affairs manager Jay Jaboneta.
ULABs pose a serious environmental threat due to its chemical components particularly sulfuric acid and lead, which is a potent neurotoxin. If not disposed properly, these chemicals will leak into the environment and cause ground water contamination or lead poisoning.
Recycling them to manufacture new batteries will greatly reduce the risks of an environmental problem, aside from the fact that recycling also decreases the demand for virgin materials as primary ingredients, PBSP said.
More than a thousand ULABs weighing a total of 21,554 kilograms were donated by Meralco from its entire vehicle fleet and substations, PBSP said.
Proceeds of the donation will help in the solar electrification of various public schools in the country, PBSP said.
“A sustainability initiative like this results in another sustainability program such as being able to provide electricity to off-grid schools where students are deprived of opportunities versus what the others have. So this is a clear example of how a single sustainability initiative can affect another one so that the entire ecosystem of growth really happens,” Tarayao said.
Meralco’s environment management associate Jenny Diokno-Araullo said the company participates in these kinds of partnership not just to comply but also to contribute to society.
“We are also responsible for the operations that we do, ensuring that our operations abide by all environmental laws and do something more. We need to comply with environmental regulations but that is just a minimum, because we want to engage in these kinds of activity to give back to the community that we serve,” she said.
Araullo said the ULAB donation is also part of the company’s greening of its supply chain and its initiative to operate in a nature-friendly manner, and ensure that its waste products would go to proper organizations that would dispose of them properly.
She said Meralco is urging other companies to support environment-friendly programs such as the PBSP-Motolite Balik Baterya and its Learning Enhancement Assistance Program project to make a difference for the environment and for our future leaders.
“It is helping the community through the schools and the kids, because education is a foundation. With OMF, it is not just building schools, but also providing the tools for teaching. With this project, the solar lighting of classrooms will literally make their lives better and brighter,” she said.
Established in 1970, PBSP is the largest business-led social development organization in the country committed to poverty reduction. With 267 large, small- and medium-scale companies as members, PBSP helps uplift the lives of Filipinos through social development programs that focus on health, education, the environment, and livelihood and enterprise development. Since the start, PBSP has been at the forefront of advocating stronger corporate citizenship with the aim of supporting inclusive national development.
PBSP has been influencing the Philippine business community to integrate CSR practices into their core businesses and advocating the application of business strategies in addressing poverty.
In 2010, PBSP began looking at the concepts of inclusive business and the need to use the collective impact framework when tackling big societal challenges.
Promotion and development of inclusive business models for the strategic platforms for collective engagements are at its core program agenda.
PBSP is also continuously observing trends in overseas development assistance, and partners with both international and local nonprofit and aid organizations to promote inclusive national development.
Because of its extensive experience in social development, PBSP has cultivated relationships with the government and the private sectors that it leverages to participate in public-private partnerships that empower communities around the Philippines.