Balik-Baterya Program gets boost

In a unified call for environment protection, the Philippine Export Zone Authority-Mactan Economic Zone (PEZA-MEZ) and its locators sealed its commitment to support the Balik-Baterya Program by donating all its used batteries for the cause.

The PEZA-MEZ and Balik-Baterya coordinators Oriental and Motolite Marketing Corporation (OMMC) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) signed an agreement during a forum held recently at the PEZA-MEZ session hall of Mactan Economic Zone 2, in barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City.

Present at the signing were PEZA-MEZ’s department manager of operations lawyer Rufino San Juan IV, corporate social responsiblity (CSR) head engineer Rolando Patalinghug, OMMC CSR head Eman Ragaza, PBSP Visayas Regional Office senior program officer Olive Jabido and the 20 locators.

In his speech, lawyer San Juan assured PBSP and OMMC that the partnership will continue to gather more locators to donate their used lead acid batteries to the program.

“With the help of the organizers, the very things we consider as wastes like used batteries can help provide for the foundation of our children’s future. This project may not be able to put back power into the used batteries, but the used batteries can put power in the minds of thousands of children,” he said.

“This (partnership) is a ‘solution within a solution.’ The program enables us to address an environmental concern while helping us support better education for the schoolchildren. By having Philippine Recyclers Inc. and Motolite as partners, we know that our used lead acid batteries (ULABs) are properly treated and disposed of. Equally important, having PBSP with the program assures us of a sustainable and worthwhile development for the children,” PEZA-MEZ Environment, Health and Safety officer Verna Luz Daño added.

Launched in 2006, the Motolite-PBSP Balik-Baterya Program aims to protect the environment through proper disposal and recycling of ULABs as well as improve the quality of learning among pupils.

ULABs donated by companies are bought by OMMC and the proceeds are used to fund the establishment of learning resource centers, such as mini-libraries that include a table, chairs and a bookshelf filled with books and supplementary instructional materials on basic academic subjects.

The signing of agreement also marked the start of collection of used batteries donated by the 20 PEZA-MEZ locators.

The donation of more than 16 tons of ULABs, which could generate more than P380,000, is enough to fund for at least nine LRCs.

To make the program more sustainable, PEZA-MEZ plans to schedule quarterly collections for its locators in a year.

Locators that joined the program include Accuform Inc., Cebu Chip Connection, Cebu Iwakami Corp., Euro-CB (Phils). Inc., Halsangz Plating Cebu Corp., HPOI Corp., KGS Phils. Corp., Lear Corp., Lexmark International Phils. Inc., MSM Cebu Inc., NKC Mfg. Phils. Corp., Olympus Optical Products Philippines Inc., SAWO Inc., Taiyo Yuden Phils. Inc., Philippine Tonan Corp., Pacific Aeronautical Inc., Philippines Light-Leather Inc., Cebu Logitem Inc., Ina Micro Opto Corp. and Toa Kiko Cebu Corp.