Pilmico Foods Corporation (Pilmico) signs a partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in Region 10 for their Adopt a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) Program.
Last February 28, 2022, DENR-EMB held a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing for the said project. Part of the attendees were donors and signatories from various industries including Pilmico, GNPower Kauswagan Ltd. Co., Minergy Power Corp., FDC Misamis Power Corporation, Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Philippine Sinter Corp., Jacobi Carbon Phils., Republic Cement Mindanao, Inc.
In picture from left to right: Engr. Dovee Cherry I. Geollegue – OIC-Chief, EMED, EMB-X, Engr. Gian Carlo Lluisma, Reynaldo S. Digamo – Regional Director, EMB-X, Engr. Florencio D. Sebandal and Maria Katrina Bayog-Mercado.
The Ambient Air Monitoring Project is aimed to monitor air quality in urban and highly urbanized areas. Reynaldo Digamo, Regional Director of DENR – EMB Region 10, gives his appreciation to all the companies who showed support and assistance to the project. “For 3 years, we continuously proposed the procurement of this (ambient air monitoring system)… I am very happy that our call was responded positively and your valued presence this afternoon indicates your strong and deep commitment to assist the government in the protection of the environment and perhaps help us improve the air quality of Region 10, Northern Mindanao,” he said.
In the picture from left to right: Henry A. Adornado, Ph.D. – Regional Executive Director, DENR R-X, Engr. Florencio D. Sebandal, VP for Operations and Reynaldo S. Digamo – Regional Director, EMB-X
Florencio D. Sebandal, VP for Operations of Pilmico, shows his full support for the project. “We, at Pilmico, are committed to protecting and bettering our environment. We hope that with our support to DENR-EMB, we can help achieve better air quality here in our province of Lanao del Norte and the rest of the region.”
Under the agreement, Pilmico will provide monetary support through the Guardians of Earth Association, Inc., an environmental awareness non-profit organization. The funding and support of Pilmico alongside other private companies for the establishment of CAAQMS in Region 10, will help improve air quality in Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
