VICTORIAS Milling Company, Inc. (VMC) decried all allegations against their distillery plant in Manapla, Negros Occidental, as “baseless” and “unsubstantiated.”
In a press statement, VMC president Minnie Chua said that they have not violated any laws, contrary to claims of various groups that the distillery is operating illegally, among other issues.
To set the record straight, VMC said that;
On alleged pollution:
VMC has regularly and consistently budgeted and spent on capex to address environmental concerns, particularly on the reported foul odor around the distillery, since early 2020.
It has invested in modern structures and technological processes to eliminate odor. The most recent one is the installation of an Anaerobic Digester to lessen the presence of odor-causing bacteria in the slops by 60 to 70 percent and converting it to biogas; an Automatic Flaring System to eliminate odor-causing gases; and improvements in wastewater treatment methods at the aeration ponds such as filtration, aeration, and dosing of enzymes to counteract the odor-causing chemical reaction in the digesters. Additional units of aspirating surface aerators in the Aeration Ponds to help eliminate odor were also installed.
“We have invested over P200 million on these improvements to ensure we are environmentally compliant, and the residents can attest to this,” VMC said. Thus, “it is quite unbelievable that these pollution and foul odor claims from a few people have any basis while the majority are satisfied with our efforts to make these improvements and rehabilitation we’ve introduced.”
Let us also put on record that the distillery is covered with the proper Environment Compliance Certificate issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) for the operation of its vacuum distillation, dehydrator and irrigation ponds. Moreover, the distillery’s irrigation ponds are covered with the proper permits and licenses. “That is why it is unfair for these people to accuse the mayor’s office and all concerned government agencies for siding with us when we are doing our part in following due process and complying with the necessary regulatory and reportorial requirements,” Chua added.
On top of that, VMC has also been conducting tree planting activities in areas surrounding the industrial and natural polishing lagoons and aeration ponds to serve as natural air purifiers. It also helped establish the multi-partite monitoring team with the local government units of Manapla and Cadiz in 2020, involving government officials, environmental agencies, health experts, and members of the communities to work hand-in-hand in preserving the environment.
While this is no longer a requirement by the EMB, VMC believes this will set up a proper venue for community members to raise and resolve issues or complaints immediately with the representative government officials and agencies.
“Our critics have been issued invitation to attend these meetings so they can air their concerns, but they opted to issue baseless claims instead, which makes us suspect their motives,” VMC stressed.
Nevertheless, VMC remains committed to protect the environment and create value to the communities where it operates; and with this, the invitation remains open to media who wish to come and visit the distillery, as they had in the past, to see for themselves the improvements that the company has implemented over the years.
On alleged land grabbing:
There is no truth in the statement that the distillery is encroaching on other people’s properties. Nor is there any truth that VMC has received any payment from Land Bank for said properties. Where did these critics get information on these so-called payments?
Certain areas in Manapla were zoned as commercial or industrial by proper authorities before the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) law took effect in 1988, and this includes VMC’s distillery. So as ordered by the Department of Agrarian Reform in 2017 and 2019, the land where the VMC Manapla distillery is located has been ordered exempted from CARP.
On the non-SEC registration:
VMC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. As part of the entire VMC business operation, the VMC Distillery – Alcohol Bioethanol is not a separate entity and is sanctioned by the Primary and Secondary Purposes of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of VMC, which has been duly approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, as such, was legitimately granted a Business Permit by the Municipality of Manapla./PN
