With its efforts to produce environmentally friendly cement products and seven decades of imparting best safety practices, Republic Cement’s plants, one of the country’s largest cement producers, has recently received two major accolades at Malacañang Palace.

No less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bestowed the 2023 Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Awards (PMIEA), one each for Republic Cement’s Batangas and Teresa, Rizal plants.

Presented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR–MGB), the awards recognize organizations “that have demonstrated outstanding performance in responsible mining, environmental conservation, and safety excellence.”

At least 35 companies under the Surface Mining Operation, Quarry Operation, and Mineral Processing categories vied for recognition.

A total of 13 mining and mineral processing companies stood out as recipients of the 2023 PMIEA.

“Each year, this award highlights the exemplary efforts of mining groups and companies that have achieved safe, environmentally sound, and socially responsible operations. This ceremony is a celebration of your commitment and your responsibility. It is a tribute to those who see mining as a profound opportunity to uplift communities and ensure environmental sustainability for generations to come,” said President Marcos Jr. at the event last 16 October.

With this, Republic Cement Chief Executive Officer Roman Menz, in receiving the citation, maintained that Republic Cement, which has been operational in the country for more than seven decades now, “have been true to our commitment to safety, sustainability, and responsible mining.” r. a.