Taiheiyo Cement bags DENR award for responsible mining
DIVINE S. NGUJO
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Visayas has awarded Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) the 2018 Gawad Tugas for responsible mining in the mineral processing category.
DENR-7 with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) granted TCPI the award “in recognition of having displayed and demonstrated innovation, ingenuity and investment in environment protection, conservation and management.”
DENR-7 director Gilbert C. Gonzales handed the award to TCPI chief executive officer and president Kazuhiko Ichizawa with MGB-7 OIC director Armando L. Malicse and Emma E. Melana, DENR assistant director for management services.
TCPI environment and safety division (ESD) manager Romeo M. Gebilaguin and section head Dwight P. Avila joined Ichizawa in receiving the award during the recent 4th Gawad Tugas Awards Night at Grand Convention Center.
It served as the culmination of the 2018 Philippine Environment Month celebration that had a string of activities that included tree planting at the TCPI buffer zone in San Fernando town that various agencies and the media participated in.
TCPI earned the award a year after its materials supplier, Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC), also received the same responsible mining award in the quarry mining category during the 3rd Gawad Tugas Awards last year.
“It is a great honor and pleasure for us. I really appreciate your daily struggle and effort,” Ichizawa said in an internal message to TCPI and SEDC employees.
As he underscored that “our ultimate goal is ‘no negative impact to the environment’ at all,” the newly-installed TCPI CEO urged the employees to “continue improvement please.”