BACOLOD CITY – Victorias Milling Company (VMC) recently turned over the first-ever Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay Purisima, Manapla, aiming to empower the community through waste segregation and recycling, with potential economic benefits.
VMC President Linley Retirado stated that the construction of the MRF in Barangay Purisima had long been conceptualized as part of the company’s commitment to helping the community and protecting the environment.
“This project also aims to equip residents of Purisima with the responsibility of segregating their trash from their homes to the facility, as this could present a livelihood opportunity for them,” Retirado said.
The MRF is a specialized waste sorting and recycling system that separates recyclable materials from general waste, which can then be sold to manufacturers. It can also recycle food waste for composting, among other processes.
Second District Representative Alfredo Marañon III, Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante, along with VMC officials and other local government representatives, attended the blessing and turnover ceremony.
They commended the company for its continued support of their constituents.
Simultaneously, the officials also inaugurated the renaming of the former Unson Bridge to Distillery Bridge, which recently underwent repairs in the same village.
“This goes beyond physical restoration and improvement of vital infrastructure; it demonstrates the spirit of unity and progress that defines us as Purisimahanons,” Retirado said.
He added that the collaborative efforts that brought this project to fruition “demonstrate the resilience and determination that make our community worthy of support and love.”
Purisima Barangay Captain Marnie Cabuncal remarked that “the renaming of Unson Bridge to Distillery Bridge is a symbolic gesture of gratitude and acknowledgment of VMC’s contribution to the welfare and development of our barangay and its residents.”
Fr. Jun Nograles, the parish priest of St. Michael’s Quasi-Parish in Manapla, led the blessing of both the bridge and the recycling facility.
