Fifty-one (51) Pollution Control Officers and representatives from the Food and Beverage Sectors and from the Services, Consultancy, and Laboratories Sector from different stakeholders gathered at Silid Ng Karunungan Room D, ILCC, Insular Life Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City on May 29, 2018 to participate in the first sectoral meeting embarked by the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Region 4A for the PCOs from the two mentioned sectors.
Dubbed as the “1st Sectoral Meeting and Relevant Environmental Updates for Food and Beverages Sector and Services/Consultancy/Laboratories Sector”, the meeting sought to provide basic compliance requirements to all relevant environmental laws and to clarify issues in relation to their implementation. It also provided basic information on the requirements for PCOs accreditation, their functions and duties and responsibilities.
Mr. Junnel R. Lising, PCAPI Calabarzon’s Food and Beverages Sector Director, imparted to the participants the introduction to the Food and Beverages and the Environment, while Ms. Zarah D. Malino, PCAPI Calabarzon’s Services/Consultancy/Laboratories Sector Director, shared about the Introduction to Services/Consultancy/Laboratories and the Environment. The presentations gave an overview of the basic information about the two sectors, the benefits and the effects they cause to the environment, and the various challenges being faced in line with their current status in the Philippines.
The participants also heard a presentation from Ms. Rasmiah M. Malixi, PCAPI Calabarzon President, about the Update on MC 2018-01 (Deferment of the Conduct of Basic and Advance Training for PCO for Renewal Purposes), along with the following speakers and their topics: Relevant Environmental Updates on General Effluent Standards (GES) and Compliance Action Plan (CAP) by Engr. Randy Anonuevo, LLDA; Department of Agriculture (DA)’s AO 2007-26 on Certification of Use of Wastewater for Irrigation Purposes by Ms. Brefelin J. Robles, 1st Vice President of PCAPI R4A; and Relevant Updates on Chemicals and Hazardous Wastes by Engr. Marissa Malabana, OIC, Chemical & THWMS, EMB-R4A.
The sector representatives also underwent an Open Forum wherein they were given the opportunity to put forth their concerns about the presentations, relating mainly to their respective sectors which resulted to recommendations for policy and action in the sectors.
Considering the outcome of the meeting, the number of different industries who came together to discuss the same or similar issues, and the efficiency of the sectoral committees, the first sectoral meeting for the two sectors was deemed successful.
Table 1. Minutes of the First Sectoral Meeting and Relevant Environmental Updates for Food and Beverages Sector and Services/Consultancy/Laboratories Sector.
