PHINMA Corporation inaugurated on Saturday its first state-of-the-art cement and port facilities under its subsidiary, the PhilCement Corp., at the Freeport Area of Bataan here.

The inauguration and blessing signaled the operation of the plant with highly-automated equipment that initially has an annual capacity of 2 million tons of cement.

The cement and port facilities that sit in 1.9 hectares of land have a total investment of PHP1 billion.

“We want to contribute what we can in nation-building to making lives better,” PHINMA president and chief operating officer Ramon del Rosario said.

He said one of the best ways to making lives better is to support the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte in the infrastructure development programs.

“’Build, Build, Build’ program is a very important component of this administration and I think it is worthy of support,” del Rosario said.

He said domestic manufacture of cement is inadequate to meet the demand so the entry of PhilCement in the industry will help fill the gap.

Cement is a key to infrastructure and a reliable supply of quality cement is a “golden key”, he added.

Del Rosario further said he believes that the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program is long overdue and that they wanted to help by offering the highest quality cement.

Only the best quality cement has to be used to build roads, bridges, railways, airports, and ports, as well as school buildings and public housing, he said.

Del Rosario said they were fortunate to be able to get together with one of the world’s largest exporter of cement from Vietnam, which he said has a facility for “very well-secured to export” cement-like in Mariveles.

“PhilCement in Mariveles is only one of its kind and also the largest independent cement bulk terminal in the whole world,” he said.

Del Rosario said they have revived Union cement that became their brand.

PhilCement president and chief executive officer Eduardo Sahagun dispelled doubts on pollution.

“I want to assure that there is no emission that will be harmful to the community especially along the seashore,” he said.

Sahagun said their unloaders and loaders are meant to make sure that there is no emission at all.

He further said their conveyor system that flows from the vessel to a certain portion of the conveyor has a zipper.

“There is a zipper that zips it and can only be found here. This is the only plant that zips the conveyor while in operation,” Sahagun said.

In his many years in the cement business, he said: “I have not seen a plant with elastic equipment, filter, to make sure it is actually clean and we will add some more.”

Emmanuel Pineda, chairman of the Freeport Area of Bataan, said PhilCement has placed Bataan in the map of the world in cement production being the biggest cement facility in the entire world.

He committed full support for the successful operation of the plant and port facilities. (PNA)