By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Sugar producer Victorias Milling Corporation (VMC) based in Victorias City, Negros Occidental has invested P200 million for its distillery plant development to address the environmental and pollution issues of some residents in Barangay Purisima, Manapla town.
VMC representatives, local government officials, and the affected residents gathered in a forum last Tuesday to mainly tackle the issues.
Engineer Sherwin Bacanto, plant manager, said the distillery plant, which produces 60,000 liters of ethyl alcohol per day using molasses as raw material, has temporarily stopped operation in June this year, following the issues previously raised by the surrounding community on the waste discharge and foul odor emanating from the plant.
Three months later, the plant initiated an environmental upgrade, and started production again in October.
As part of their environmental compliance, Bacanto said the plant is no longer connected to a natural lagoon.
Bacanto explained that the waste now goes to the world-class designed (aeration) ponds, which they then convert to organic fertilizer.
In fact, the plant has an anaerobic digester, the first stage in the distillery waterwaste treatment that lessens the presence of odor-causing bacteria in the slops by-product by 60 to 70 percent. It also increases the pH level which reduces acidity making it a good soil conditioner and fertilizer.
The plant also has a “world-class design” vacuum distillation, which is intended to reduce 30 percent of its stream.
Bacanto said that their move only shows that they are also listening to the sentiments of the people and that they have addressed the issue.
Meanwhile, Mayor Manuel Escalante III, said they had given the VMC another chance to address the concerns as they have seen the company’s commitment and have complied with the required documents.
But, he noted that once the VMC fails to accomplish the required pollution-control measures, their permit can be revoked any time.
Escalante said they have organized a team to monitor the situation.
