Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. on Responsible Water Stewardship

Water remains the world’s top resource, as industry and community benefit from having access to clean, sustainable supply. Among the environmental commitments of Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI), the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country, is practicing sound, responsible methods that help manage its use of water in collaboration with its various stakeholders.

The 22nd of March marks the commemoration of World Water Day, and aside from implementing industry best practices and policies, PCPPI encourages process improvement to further optimize how water is utilized across all areas of operations. “Upholding our commitment to responsible water stewardship goes beyond having the systems and protocols in place that allow our teams to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Our employees are encouraged to embrace innovation as part of our advocacy,” said PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick D. Ong.

Strategic plans supported by strong partnerships

The water resource management policies of PCCPI are embodied in the Luntiang Yaman program, which covers the organization’s sustainability efforts. These include the 3Rs approach to manage water consumption: reduce, re-use, and recycle. Other than reducing water use, PCPPI also has protocols in place to optimize electricity use, optimize fuel yield, manage solid waste output, and community engagement.

PCCPI also works with government authorities in the communities where it operates. For example, the organization actively works with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to periodically assess the health of the waterways in the communities they operate alongside multi-sectoral groups.

Sto. Tomas: Shifting the traditional mindset

PCPPI’s commitment to responsible water management is demonstrated in its manufacturing facilities, particularly in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The plant has twice-received PCPPI’s Galing at Sikap Plant Excellence Award in Sustainability in 2021 and 2022. This recognition is given to the business units with the highest performance ratings on key focus areas of operations, including environmental resource management. “The Sto. Tomas facility was lauded for its efforts in consuming water and energy in the most economical way, thereby minimizing environmental impact,” Ong added.

According to Plant Manager Chrysler Salcedo, one of the best practices at work at the Sto. Tomas plant includes setting definitive operating hours for optimum target volume of water required, both for the products to be manufactured and for its manpower’s daily water consumption. This encourages all employees to become more mindful in their water use in daily operations. Regular training sessions on resource conservation are also scheduled, and serve as checkpoint meetings where employees can proactively address potential areas of concern.

“Open communication and collaboration make even the most complex policies work. In Sto. Tomas, it remains important for our team to engage in discussions about how we can best manage the resources we look after: water, electricity, and oil, among others,” said Salcedo. “To become more effective in our industry, we recognize the value of implementing more creative, cost-efficient policies so that we can better serve our communities,” he added.

Strategic and planned updates in the Sto. Tomas plant have also been implemented to further manage how the facility consumes water, one of which involves decreasing the frequency of production line Clean-in-Place (CIP) procedures. These pertain to the overall cleaning of equipment used after continuous production. “We shifted to a 72-hour cycle, which will allow us to save 780 liters of water a week. Combined with our stringent sanitation protocols, we are confident that our operations will continue to meet internal and industry standards while maximizing financial and resource savings,” Salcedo explained.

PCPPI is the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country. It distributes well-loved brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Sting, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Milkis, Chum Churum Soonhari, and Premier. For more information about PCPPI and its products, please visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.

 

Dr. Nielsen Donato and His True Heart for Animals

“What makes you wake up early in the morning?” asks veterinarian Dr. Nielsen Donato while strolling through his animal sanctuary. “It’s not work. It’s something that you’re excited about.”

Zuma the Albino Burmese python and Doc Nielsen pose for the camera.

Feeding time: Violet, a rescued tortoise, snacks on papaya.

Best Friends Forever: Doc Nielsen and Kulit.

Doc Nielsen demonstrates how to bathe a Bayawak, with his resident monitor lizard, Bruce.

On full display: Drake the Peacock struts around his pen.

 

When people think of veterinarians, they usually think of them tending to household pets, like cats and dogs. But Doc Nielsen isn’t a regular vet. He’s the managing partner and chief surgeon at Vets In Practice (VIP), which caters to not-your-usual pets, and he also has a background in Avian and Exotic Medicine.

But what makes him so special is his unbridled care for virtually any kind of animal, be it crawling, flying, galloping, or slithering.

Doc Nielsen’s passion started when he was around three years old. One of his favorite childhood memories was being excited about going to church just so he could see the yellow chicks and ducklings being sold by vendors outside.

Today, Doc Nielsen helps run the Laguna Wildlife Park & Rescue Center, which sits within his family’s property in Pansol. This non-profit organization houses around 100 species of farm animals and wildlife, including domestic and neglected pets, as well as exotic animals that were rescued from illegal sellers and dangerous living conditions. The wildlife park has everything from chickens and goats to monkeys and a serval cat, which he tends to with the help of his staff. It’s also backed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which assists in acquiring and transporting animals to the park.

The veterinarian calls the park his “happy place,” which he visits as early as 5 am to see all of the animals and listen to the different sounds that envelope the whole park. “When I’m walking here in the morning or afternoon, it relaxes me. Nalilimutan ko yung mga stress, that’s why I call it my ‘haven,’” says Doc Nielsen.

Compassion project

“We support the animals with our own resources,” Doc Nielsen says as he shows the many enclosures in the park that the animals call home. He also provides them with nutritious food and medicine to keep them healthy while they’re living in the park.

He doesn’t do this alone. Apart from the staff he works with, Doc Nielsen’s family also helps. His kids, Cedric and Nina, are studying veterinary medicine, so they’re well on their way to following in their dad’s footsteps.

Giving animals a second chance

While giving a tour of the park, Doc Nielsen stops to feed and pet the animals he passes by. One of them is a bearcat (binturong), a nocturnal mammal with cat-like features that’s endemic to Palawan. Doc Nielsen explains that the bearcats were transported to the park with the help of DENR, and they are raised until they’re ready to be released back into the wild.

“I promised that if I ever breed any endemic wildlife animal in the park, my goal is to help repopulate their species and bring them back to their natural habitat,” he says. He also takes time to assess animals who might need medical attention and treat them right away to prevent infections.

It’s not always easy for Doc Nielsen to let go of animals, especially those that have been used to being around humans. Many of the monkeys, for example, lived in crowded areas and were treated as pets in their past lives. Releasing them back into the wild would be a safety risk for them because a troop of wild monkeys might hurt them.

This is why he and his staff ensure that animals like these get the care they need so they can live a long and healthy life. The wildlife sanctuary is their safe haven until they are ready to be released in a protected space.

Whether it’s at his clinic in the city or the wildlife park in Laguna, Doc Nielsen is always ready to offer his expertise and care to all types of species, no matter how scary they may seem.

“I always dreamed of being someone like [British veterinary surgeon] James Harriot. I’ve always wanted to treat dogs and cats, and farm animals as big as horses, goats, and sheep,” he said. “There weren’t exotic animals to treat yet [when I was just starting out.] Now, I’m lucky because I get to treat more exotic animals, as well as farm animals, in my clinic and the park.”

 

 

 

 

 

My First Time at St. Jude Parish (Mendiola Manila)

Hi

Updating the blog. Today I went to church with my fellow barrista, Nico. We visited St. Jude Thaddeus Parish in Mendiola Manila.

As we all know, Jude is the Patron Saint of Hope and impossible causes and one of Jesus' original twelve Apostles. Aside from being the patron saint of lost causes, St. Jude is a symbol of choosing faith when all seems lost. He is a testament to standing firm in religious truth in the face of an ever uncertain and challenging world.

 

When I first took the Bar Exams 12 years ago, my mother gave me this prayer book of St. Jude. I am not a devotee, not even that religious way back then. But I did pray, but not wholeheartedly. I still have that prayer book until now, and to be honest, I have been praying for weeks now, even on my 2nd term of novena. Praying so hard that this time around God grant me my prayers with the aid of St. Jude. 

With Nico and Christian.

After hearing mass, we waited a few minutes to be blessed with holy water. Noticed that a lot of exam takers are there waiting for the blessing of holy water on their exam stuffs.

We're planning of going here to hear masses in the coming Sundays until the Bar Exam Days..

May God grant our prayers of passing the upcoming Bar Exams.