CEBU CITY -- Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Inc. (TCPI) Plastic Buster Program that started among its employees has expanded to all public schools in San Fernando town in Cebu Province, following the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Education (DepEd) at the company’s administration conference room.
Dwight Avila, TCPI manager for environment and safety said the initiative now covers 15 schools across DepEd’s Districts 1 and 2, marking a significant step in deepening environmental awareness among the youth and strengthen community-based solid waste management, anchoring hopes in the youth to carry on the efforts to keep their environment clean and healthy.
The partnership highlighted the growing collaboration among the education sector, government agencies, and private industry in promoting sustainability at the grassroots level. “The expansion of the Plastic Buster Program reflects our belief that environmental responsibility must start early,” Avila said.
Avila shared by involving schools and students, the team is planting the seeds of discipline and environmental consciousness that can extend from the classroom to households and the wider community. Under the program, students and schools are encouraged to practice proper waste segregation, particularly the collection of non-rigid plastic wastes. These plastics are then utilized as alternative fuel in TCPI’s cement production process, helping reduce waste sent to landfills while supporting more sustainable industrial practices.
John Roy Kyamko, chief of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Section of the Environment Management Bureau (EMB-7) is hopeful the expansion results in positive changes in the community.
“We give our best efforts in dealing (with) garbage in the manner (that) we can manage. However, it is heartbreaking to see that most garbage only ends up in landfills,” Marlowe Revolteado, principal of San Fernando Montessori Science Elementary School said.
Revolteado noted that TCPI’s program is attuned to DepEd’s advocacy on environmental protection and conservation. With the program, the educators’ passion to help save the environment has been reignited. “We are driven to lead our learners to take part in this undertaking knowing that they deserve a clean, safe and sustainable environment,” he said.
Students as agents of environmental change
The latest expansion builds on the program’s steady growth since its launch in June 2024 within TCPI premises. Initially participated in by employees and personnel of suppliers and allied companies, the Plastic Buster Program began as a weekly initiative encouraging workers to bring clean and dry plastic waste from home.
In its second phase, TCPI piloted the program in the community through student leaders of South Poblacion National High School - Math & Science School (SPNHS-MSS). The positive response from the pilot school demonstrated how students can become effective environmental advocates, influencing practices not only in school but also at home.
“Children can be powerful agents of change. When they understand why proper waste management matters, they bring that mindset to their families. That’s how we address the problem at its source,” Avila said.
With the town-wide rollout, TCPI and its partners aim to nurture what Avila described as “green thumbs” among young learners, a mindset that values environmental protection, discipline, and sustainability as everyday habits. The lead educators have expressed their commitment to promote the program in their respective elementary schools (ES), national high schools (NHS) and technical vocational schools (TVS).
Today, the expansion included the principals of Balud ES principal - Dr. Judy Tapere; Catalina Lapus-Omega NHS - Dr. Lowella C. Capangpangan; Pitalo ES - Isidro M. Catina; Pitalo NHS - Dr. Nanette D. Ymalay; Ricardo Reluya Jr. TVS - Ernesto T. Estrelloso; San Fernando Central - Florinda M. Soronio; San Fernando NHS - Kathleen Marie P. Gencono; San Isidro ES - Alford G. Magdogo with school teacher Liezel Sebial; Sangat ES - Dr. Marissa S. Deipariene; Sangat NHS - Rosemariwen Renes; South Poblacion ES - Evaniza M. Genilla and South Poblacion NHS Math & Science School - Dr. Olga C. Fernandez.
Beyond reducing plastic waste, the Plastic Buster Program supports TCPI’s commitment to its Environmental Management System, certified under ISO 14001 since 2006, and aligns with Republic Act No. 11898, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022.
Through the expanded partnership, TCPI,
schools, and local institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to building
a cleaner, greener, and safer San Fernando, while educating the next generation
on practices that will benefit both present and future communities. (Photos: Taiheyo Cement Philippines Inc.)
