The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) recently donated used lead acid batteries worth P5 million to ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) in line with the organization’s Bantay Baterya Project.
The Bantay Baterya Project aims to create a sustained public awareness on the health and environmental hazards posed by the indiscriminate handling of junk batteries and to recover and reprocess junk batteries in an environmentally safe manner. The project requests companies for donation of used, junk lead acid batteries earmarked for disposal.
The used batteries will be properly hauled by the Bantay Kalikasan arm of the AFI and the Philippine Recyclers Inc. (PRI) from several NGCP substations all over the country. These will be handled, treated and disposed in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. PRI will also reprocess the donated batteries, determine its monetary value and turn over the revenue from the recovered materials to ABS-CBN Foundation.
Henry T. Sy, Jr., NGCP president and chief executive officer, signed a memorandum of agreement with the foundation and PRI to formalize the power transmission company’s full support for this environmental project. Sy was represented by Anthony Almeda, chief administrative officer, at the turnover ceremony in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
“We value this partnership campaign for the proper disposal of waste, especially used batteries which can harm the environment. We perform our mandate as transmission service provider while being fully aware of our responsibilities to the environment and the general public. By partnering with Bantay Kalikasan and AFI, we are assured that our initiatives are put into good and sustainable use,” Almeda said.
He also urged everyone to donate their used lead-acid batteries to the Bantay Baterya Project of ABS-CBN Foundation.
Proceeds from the used batteries will be used to support the operations of the Bantay Kalikasan Hotline and the Save the La Mesa Watershed Project as well as NGCP’s various corporate social responsibility projects.