Pilmico Foods Corporation (Pilmico) menandatangani kerja sama dengan Departemen Lingkungan Hidup dan Sumber Daya Alam - Biro Manajemen Lingkungan (DENR-EMB) di Wilayah 10 untuk Program Adopsi Stasiun Pemantauan Kualitas Udara Ambien Berkelanjutan (CAAQMS). 

Pada tanggal 28 Februari 2022 yang lalu, DENR-EMB mengadakan penandatanganan Nota Kesepahaman (MOA) untuk proyek tersebut. Sebagian peserta yang hadir adalah para donor dan penandatangan dari berbagai industri termasuk Pilmico, GNPower Kauswagan Ltd. Minergy Power Corp, FDC Misamis Power Corporation, Tanduay Distillers, Inc, Philippine Sinter Corp, Jacobi Carbon Phils, Republic Cement Mindanao, Inc.

Proyek Pemantauan Udara Ambien bertujuan untuk memantau kualitas udara di daerah perkotaan dan daerah dengan tingkat urbanisasi yang tinggi. Reynaldo Digamo, Direktur Regional DENR - EMB Wilayah 10, memberikan apresiasi kepada semua perusahaan yang telah memberikan dukungan dan bantuan untuk proyek ini. "Selama 3 tahun, kami terus mengusulkan pengadaan (sistem pemantauan udara ambien) ini... Saya sangat senang bahwa seruan kami ditanggapi dengan positif dan kehadiran Anda yang berharga pada sore hari ini menunjukkan komitmen Anda yang kuat dan mendalam untuk membantu pemerintah dalam melindungi lingkungan dan mungkin membantu kami meningkatkan kualitas udara di Wilayah 10, Mindanao Utara," katanya.

Florencio D. Sebandal, Wakil Presiden Operasional Pilmico, menunjukkan dukungan penuhnya terhadap proyek ini. "Kami, di Pilmico, berkomitmen untuk melindungi dan memperbaiki lingkungan kami. Kami berharap dengan dukungan kami kepada DENR-EMB, kami dapat membantu mencapai kualitas udara yang lebih baik di provinsi kami di Lanao del Norte dan di seluruh wilayah ini." 

Berdasarkan perjanjian tersebut, Pilmico akan memberikan dukungan dana melalui Guardians of Earth Association, Inc, sebuah organisasi nirlaba yang peduli terhadap lingkungan. Pendanaan dan dukungan Pilmico bersama dengan perusahaan swasta lainnya untuk pembentukan CAAQMS di Wilayah 10, akan membantu meningkatkan kualitas udara di Misamis Oriental dan Lanao del Norte.

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

What did Pilmico VP Florencio Sebandal say about the company’s environmental commitment in Region 10?
Sebandal stated that Pilmico is committed to protecting and bettering the environment, and expressed hope that with support to DENR-EMB, the company can help achieve better air quality in Lanao del Norte and the rest of Region 10. His inclusion of “the rest of the region” — beyond the province where Pilmico directly operates — frames the company’s environmental ambition as regional rather than self-interested: contributing to air quality improvement for all communities in Northern Mindanao, not just those adjacent to Pilmico’s own facilities.

What is the CAAQMS program and what does it measure?
The Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) program is run by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau in Region 10. It establishes permanent electronic monitoring stations that continuously measure ambient air quality in urban and highly urbanized areas — tracking pollutants such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide in real time. This data is used by the government to assess air quality trends, enforce environmental regulations, and design public health interventions in Northern Mindanao.

What did Pilmico formally commit to under the MOA signed on February 28, 2022?
Pilmico signed a Memorandum of Agreement under DENR-EMB Region 10’s Adopt a CAAQMS program, committing to provide monetary support through the Guardians of Earth Association, Inc. — an environmental awareness non-profit organization. The funding from Pilmico, alongside that of other private companies including GNPower, Tanduay Distillers, and Republic Cement, contributes to the establishment and operation of air quality monitoring stations in Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte — the provinces where Pilmico’s Iligan mill is located.

What did DENR-EMB Region 10 Director Reynaldo Digamo say about private sector participation in the program?
Director Digamo expressed deep appreciation for the companies who responded to the CAAQMS program, noting that for three years the bureau had continuously proposed the procurement of an ambient air monitoring system without success, and that the positive response from the private sector indicated their strong and deep commitment to assisting the government in environmental protection and improving air quality in Region 10. His statement confirms that the private sector partnership was not a formality but a critical enabler for a government program that could not be funded from public resources alone.

Why is air quality monitoring in Northern Mindanao specifically relevant to Pilmico’s operations?
Pilmico’s Iligan City flour mill — one of its two Philippine milling facilities — is located in Lanao del Norte, one of the two provinces where CAAQMS stations will be established with Pilmico’s funding. Industrial operations including flour milling contribute to ambient air particulate levels in surrounding communities. Supporting an independent air quality monitoring system in the same province as Pilmico’s mill reflects a willingness to operate under transparent environmental accountability — an unusual level of environmental governance commitment from a private industrial operator.