Sustainable products and business practices
LAFARGE REPUBLIC, INC. traces its roots to Republic Cement Corp., a local producer of cement products since 1955. In 2001, Republic became an associated company of Lafarge, and the two began a dynamic exchange of knowledge and expertise that continues to contribute to its strong market position.
Today, Lafarge Republic distinguishes itself as an industry leader in terms of providing sustainable high- quality products and construction solutions to Filipinos.
Over the years, Lafarge Republic’s flagship cement brands — Republic, Fortune, and Mindanao Cement — have given Filipino builders high quality and sustainable building materials.
To date, Lafarge Republic has a nationwide manufacturing network of four cement plants in Norzagaray, Bulacan; Teresa, Rizal; and Taysan in Batangas. It operates a grinding station in Danao, Cebu and, through its subsidiary Lafarge Iligan, Inc., a cement plant in Iligan City. It also owns an aggregates quarry in Angono, Rizal through another subsidiary, Lafarge Republic Aggregates, Inc.
In support of the country’s strong economic growth, Lafarge Republic has recently inaugurated an 850,000-metric-ton- capacity Horomill in its Teresa, Rizal plant, which is expected to boost the plant’s total to two million metric tons. The company is commissioning a similar Horomill later in the year at its Norzagaray, Bulacan plant, which aims to provide the same additional capacity. These steps ensure that the company remains committed in helping meet the strong local demand for cement.
Among the principles that Lafarge Republic takes pride in is its embodiment of sustainability across the three pillars of its operations: products, practices, and people.
Products manufactured by Lafarge Republic are known not only for their performance but also for their sustainability. It is the only cement company in the country that blends cement with fly ash, a by-product generated by coal-powered plants, called “Tibay Enhancers” that provides improved workability and a smoother finish. This durable cement blend helps minimize emissions and shrink carbon footprint.
In terms of practices, Lafarge Republic operates with the utmost respect for the environment. Just as it enhances its operations to improve environment footprint and meet the challenges of climate change. Lafarge Republic also continuously engages stakeholders and business partners in initiatives that aim to preserve natural resources.
Promoting collaborative stewardship, Lafarge Republic, together with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Officers, and several people’s organizations, expanded its participation in the National Greening Program. As of 2013, it has reforested some 850 hectares, which is equivalent to 425,000 trees, and aims to cover a total of 1,500 hectares by 2017.
Lafarge Republic also committed to supply the special type 5 marine construction cement to build the state- of-the-art ranger station in Tubbataha Reef in Palawan. The new structure, scheduled for construction this year, will replace the aging facility that presently houses the eight rangers tasked to patrol over 130,000 hectares of some of the most ecologically important marine reservations in the world.
Finally, as an employer, Lafarge Republic boasts of a 1,300 strong workforce that thrives in a culture of excellence and embodies the values of the company.
Last year, Lafarge Cement Services Philippines, Inc. received the Bronze Accreditation by the Investors in People Philippines for its exemplary practices in people management. The company has a tradition of excellence in human resource management, as it was the first building materials company in the country to receive the Standard Accreditation in 2005, and then re-certified in 2008.
Among its learning and development programs is the Lafarge Cement School in the Teresa, Rizal plant, which trains close to 600 employees. The school comprises a number of technical and certificate programs, with a goal of maintaining a pool of competent employees to support the company’s operations.
Learning never stops at Lafarge Republic. At the backbone of its learning and development framework is the Learning Passport that incentivizes employee participation in trainings and learning sessions. It has also created an Operations Committee to em- power the company’s middle management and involve them in addressing strategic issues across the organization.
In the coming years, Lafarge Republic is set on securing its spot as one of the country’s leaders in providing world- class building materials and innovative construction solutions. It further commits to address the needs of the market through sustainable business practices.
Products manufactured by Lafarge Republic are known not only for their performance but also for their sustainability. It is the only cement company in the country that blends cement with fly ash, a by-product generated by coal-powered plants, called “Tibay Enhancers” that provides improved workability and a smoother finish. This durable cement blend helps minimize emissions and shrink carbon footprint.