Coca-Cola Philippines expands Cebu operations

Mandaue City, Cebu — Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines recently announced the expansion of their manufacturing operations in Cebu province through the addition of another bottling line, significantly increasing their production capability to meet the growing demand for their products in the region.

“True to our promised US$1 billion investment in the Philippines over the next five years, we’re going from island to island. We began in Mindanao, with the completion of our newest and most technologically advanced Mega Plant in Misamis Oriental. Then we moved on to Luzon, where we expanded our Canlubang Plant and transformed it into a Center of Operational Excellence. And now, we’ve reached the Visayas,” said Irial Finan, Executive Vice President for The Coca-Cola Company and President of the Bottling Investments Group. Finan was in Cebu to lead the inauguration of Coca-Cola Cebu Plant’s expansion. Guests of honor included Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

“Coca-Cola is celebrating its 100th year anniversary in the Philippines. I can’t think of a better way to jumpstart this historic year than to be inaugurating the expansion of our Cebu Plant,” added Finan.

The Coca-Cola Cebu Plant was first established in December 1941. It was the second bottling facility to be opened by Coca-Cola after arriving in Manila in 1912.

The expansion is also seen to generate employment opportunities in the area. The Plant currently employs around 370 associates. Roughly 40,000 retailers do business with Coca-Cola in Cebu.

“Coca-Cola and the Cebuanos share a history that spans 70 years. We recognized the potential this city had to offer back then, which guided our decision 70 years ago to establish our second plant in the Philippines here. And we still believe in the many opportunities Cebu has to offer, which is why Coca-Cola has once again chosen Cebu as its center for expansion in the region,” said Bill Schultz, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines President and CEO.

Aside from its business expansion, Coca-Cola has also made many community investments in the region. Through The Coca-Cola Foundation, the company has focused on water conservation through the Butuanon Watershed Conservation program, as well as providing underprivileged children with access to quality education via The Little Red Schoolhouse.

Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Atlanta, USA, operates 23 plants and 47 sales offices across the Philippines, with over 7,000 employees. Aside from Cebu, other areas in the Visayas where CCBP is present include Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, and Tacloban.

Coca-Cola has been in the Philippines since the beginning of the 20th century and has been locally produced since 1912. The Philippines was the first non-US nation to receive a Coca-Cola bottling and distribution franchise. The Philippine bottling operation is currently among the top ten biggest globally.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 14 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater®, Powerade®, Minute Maid®, Simply® and Georgia®. Globally, Coca-Cola is the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.

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Wise Land Use Planning and Management: Critical for Disaster Prevention

Poor land use planning is left out in the current discussions on why disasters keep happening in the Philippines. Increasing threat of climate change and the effects of disasters growing every year in almost all areas of the country communicates that land use planning, use and management is not only about physical planning but also makes sense on the social and human aspect.

Land use planning is a very important instrument in disaster risk management. The goal of land use planning for disaster risk management is to achieve a utilization of land and natural resources which is adapted to local conditions and needs and takes into account disaster risks.

Natural hazards such as floods, landslides or even earthquakes become disasters when people and physical infrastructures are not able to cope with it. The devastation is explained not only because of the country’s exposure, but also by the vulnerability of the Philippine society. This vulnerability is further worsened by the lack of prevention and preparedness or appropriate emergency management systems which leads to various losses- human life, structural and financial. The resulting loss, ranging from minimal to life-changing, depends on the capacity of the affected communities to support or resist the hazard, that is, their resilience.

Digging deeper, land use planning and management, or lack thereof is a key underlying cause that needs to be brought to the forefront. The poor’s existence is greatly interlinked with their environment. Their options of where to settle and obtain their livelihood from are limited. Their options of settlement are often limited to marginalized locations like riverbanks, steep slopes or near coastal shores. When disaster strikes, they usually do not have the resources to recover quickly.

There are nearly 100 million Filipinos, close to 30 million reside in rural areas in a state of poverty. The resilience of the lands, from which they depend on for food, shelter, water and livelihood are weakened.

Natural protections such as forests and mangrove swamps may be destroyed or damaged through unsustainable resource exploitation. Poverty, hunger and settlement on hazardous land are induced by increasing demand on water sources, soil fertility and natural resources.

Land administration involves protecting the remaining forest cover of the country, importantly so, but ‘land’ in its broadest definition extends from ‘ridge to reef’, and each type of land, from forest land, lowlands and coastal areas, require mandated plans, that determine these areas optimal use and management.
To minimize flooding risks, the whole watershed area needs to be looked at. In order to minimize water run-off, forests or forest like land use systems needs to be restored or other adequate water conservation measures be put in place. · At river deltas, like the ones in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan, a good portion need to be reserved for the undisturbed water flow or the river beds need to be regulated in a way that excess water can easily drain into the sea. Unprotected settlements close to rivers must be avoided by all means or adequate protection walls be established.

Good land use and planning are essential for the prevention of disasters. Good land use planning is comprehensive, it determines various sites in a city and municipalities: boundaries of different types of lands, settlements, livelihoods (agriculture and economic areas) and provides the means for services and infrastructure.

Absence of a comprehensive land use plan can lead quite literally to a disaster: socially, economically and environmentally.
Good land use and planning brings many other benefits. It provides the best investment options for land and water use; helps preserve ecological balance to sustain food security and economic growth and provides for local revenue generation, investment budgeting and expenditure management and monitoring to implement projects.

Most importantly, in light of typhoon Sendong and various that have caused great losses, it reduces illegal use of land, conversion and destruction. However, the best land use plan is only as good as it’s implementation. If unpopular restrictions on settlements are not enforced residents are still unnecessarily exposed to danger.

Since 2005, GIZ’s Environment and Rural Development Program has been strengthening the capacities of local planners from the regional line agencies and local government units in Leyte Island. It has assisted the elaboration or updating of 18 Municipal Comprehensive Land Use (CLUP) and Development Plans (CDP), through participatory, bottom-up, broad stakeholder participation. Local Government Units in the Philippines are mandated to develop such comprehensive plans, the basis for future growth and development of a municipality. Since 2006, the Program has also boosted disaster risk reduction and management expertise of its local government partners to plan and implement targeted risk reduction measures in their respective areas. Incorporated in the intervention is the establishment of Local Flood Early Warning Systems (LFEWS), a relatively low cost, but very efficient method.

GIZ supported eight LFEWS in Region 8 and these systems have warned residents many times of floods thus enabling them to prepare their households and leave towards evacuation centers.

On 27 December 2011 two such LFEWS (in Abuyog and in the Binahaan River Basin, both in Leyte) released warnings and contributed to the safe evacuation of people before the floods arrived.

Today, 185,000+ persons benefit from flood early warning systems in the six watersheds. By 2008, 57% of partner municipalities reported less flood damage after the establishment of FEWS.
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GIZ is a federally-owned enterprise that supports the German government in the field of international development cooperation. For more than 30 years now, GIZ has been cooperating with Philippine partners in strengthening the capacity of people and institutions to improve the lives of Filipinos in this generation and generations to come. Together we work to balance economic, social and ecological interests through multi-stakeholder dialogue, participation and collaboration.

Most of its activities are commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries – in particular the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research – as well as German federal states and municipalities, and public and private sector clients both in Germany and abroad. These include the governments of other countries, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank.

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PPI, Coke strengthen partnership for community press

Progress report (2002-2010)
Given the inherent role of the press to lead in the pursuit of the truth and the commitment of business to support initiatives to empower people for community development, it was natural for the paths of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC) to cross. In 2000 the PPI and TCCEC got together and came up with a media training program that was launched in March 2002 billed as “Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism”.

For the PPI, the theme of the partnership was one that could spur the press in general and the community newspapers in particular to connect or reconnect to (revive links with) readers. When newspapers or newsrooms have a feel for community, the interaction allows the people to participate in the agenda-setting and resolution of issues and concerns. Well-informed, empowered and responsible citizens help build better communities.

And for TCCEC, the involvement of a softdrinks enterprise in media training is, according to Roberto J. Manzano, then media relations and communications manager of the Coca-Cola Company, is “actually a very logical extension of the Coca-Cola philosophy on community involvement, which can be stated rather simply: Coca-Cola is, and has been, committed to responsible corporate citizenship.”

Six years after the launching of the media training program, the PPI-TCCEC partnership has brought the civic journalism initiative to 16 growth centers nationwide: Davao, Tacloban, Angeles, Subic, Baguio, Bacolod, Gen. Santos, Tagbilaran, Legaspi, Cebu, Lucena, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Dumaguete, Batangas, and to Sta. Rosa, Laguna where the Coca-Cola Plant served as the venue for the awareness-orientation (basic) seminar/workshop for the PPI members, other mediamen, individuals in academe and government PIOs in the Southern Tagalog region.

Aside from the 12 basic seminar/workshops, the civic journalism effort also conducted 8 tutorials or hands-on sessions featuring the actual planning and writing of the civic journalism package of stories in the newsrooms of the participating PPI members. Also held were 7 upgraded seminar/workshops focusing on The Practice of civic journalism. In 2006 and 2007, Fellowship Grants were offered to the first and the second batch of regional newspapers which developed their own projects on Civic Journalism in their respective communities. Mabuhay, Sun.Star Cebu, Mindanao Gold Star Daily, Mindanao Times, Balikas, and Sun.Star Davao implemented their activities the following year. To date, a total of 6 community newspapers have availed of the Fellowship Grants. The Freeman, Bandillo ng Palawan, Leyte-Samar Daily Express and Cebu Daily News have yet to avail of the grant but have expressed their interest (in fact attended the required workshop for fellows under the tutelage of Vergel Santos) to submit their CivicJourn projects for approval.

In 2009 and 2010, the three regional workshops were collapsed into one national workshop in Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu City, whose main focus was the elections, dubbed as “Preparing for the 2010 Elections”. This was historical in the sense that the PPI members were one of the few who were able to see the counting machine and experience demo voting through this. The workshop was considered as the second leg since during the 13th National Press Forum at the Diamond Hotel, the focus was “Reporting the Elections Now”.

From 2002 to 2010, more than 800 individuals and 201 newspapers, including 79 PPI members, took part in the 30 civic journalism seminar/workshops and tutorials held in 16 growth centers across the islands.

In April 2009, the first awards on Civic Journalism under the auspices of The Coca-Cola Export Corporation were given to winning newspapers published in 2008. In May 2008 during the Annual Community Press Awards, three newspapers were cited for their contribution to Civic Journalism namely, Sun.Star Davao, Mabuhay and Sun.Star Cebu. In said occasion, the TCCEC-PPI partnership for the awards program was also launched. It also announced the new guidelines for the selection of finalists and winners. The keynote speech of Pacita Juan, chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, focused on corporate social responsibility.

Also for the first time in 2008, there was an exhibit on civic journalism which was participated in by Balikas, Mabuhay, Sun.Star Davao, Sun.Star Cebu, and Mindanao Times. Sun.Star Cebu won both People’s Choice Award voted by PPI members and Best Booth judged by Gov. Oscar Moreno of Misamis Oriental, CCJD’s Red Batario and PPI chairman Amado Macasaet. Each winner received a plaque.

In the first PPI-TCCEC Civic Journalism Community Press Awards in April 2009, audio-visual presentation of each winning newspaper was shown as a documentation report of its CivicJourn project. Each judge was also made to say his/her citation on why a newspaper won a particular category via a taped video interview. There was no winner in the daily category for editorial page. Former COMELEC chairman Christian Monsod was guest of honor who talked about automating the 2010 elections.

Also in 2009, the exhibit dubbed as “Journey of Excellence” attracted ten members to participate: Baguio Midland Courier, Balikas, Punto Central Luzon, Mabuhay, Negros Sunday Chronicle, Sun.Star Davao, Sun.Star Cebu, The Freeman, Cebu Daily News and Bandera. Baguio Midland Courier was adjudged best booth by CMFR’s Melinda de Jesus, CHR’s Commissioner Coco Quisumbing and Mindanao businesswoman Joji Ilagan-Bian. Sun.Star Cebu was chosen favorite booth by the PPI members. Each winner received a glass trophy. The exhibit, which was considered as main attraction, was carried on in the 2010 National Press Forum at the Traders Hotel in Manila. Sun.Star Cebu won the best photos and news on human rights.

As in all initiatives to build or to stimulate development, Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism started with the groundwork – laying the foundation before erecting the structures or plowing the field before planting the seeds. For the groundbreaking effort, the Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD) was engaged to provide the structured introduction to civic journalism as practiced in the United States and to conduct the review of the commitment of the press and the journalists to the craft and to public service.

The PPI, however, placed the entire civic journalism training program under the supervision of Mr. Vergel O. Santos, who has been the Institute’s training consultant and director since 2001.

To many, if not most, craftsmen, civic journalism is not new. They have long been aware of it or practicing it, but perhaps not under that label nor to the extent of ever sharpening the focus of their reportage on the community, which is the hallmark of the civic journalism effort.

Bringing community stories into sharper focus would entail primarily connecting to or reviving links with the readers. And this means legwork – pounding the community beat to get the stories out long before these are cranked out by the official or traditional sources of news. It also means getting more voices into the news to help readers better understand the story; asking better and probing questions, sticking to the basics of good journalism – accuracy, balance, context, detachment or objectivity and fairness. Which all make for excellence, credibility and integrity.

Aside from reviving links with the readers and promoting a more vigorous and meaningful coverage to maintain or rebuild credibility, civic journalism also seeks to make ordinary concerns or boring issues compelling, and thus spur the community to come up with solutions to problems and get the people to take action to help themselves. By being part of and having a feel for community, the practice of civic journalism serves as a catalyst in getting citizens involved in community life, work and development.

Here are examples of the impact on the community press and journalists of the four years of seminars, workshops and tutorials conducted under the PPI-TCCEC Media Training Program on “Building Better Communities Through Civic Journalism.” These examples may also serve as the bases for pursuing the program and building on its initial gains.

I. Make readers act as citizens aware of their rights and obligations
“Civic Journalism is basically providing people with news and information they need in order for them to behave as citizens, decision-makers in a democratic society.”
“Civic Journalism has to do mainly with content of the newspaper and how can it make readers act as citizens aware of their rights and obligations.
“True, Sun.Star regards its readers as consumers to whom goods and services are sold. Papers survive on advertising revenue and Sun.Star is no exception.
“Sun.Star however, treats its audience as more than consumers. As the Civic Journalism concept sees it, readers are ‘citizens with responsibilities of self-government.’” — Sun.Star Cebu Editorial, September 21, 2005

II. The Story Behind the Story
”… before I wrote the article, Lords of the Flies, I was attending a wedding at barangay Dalwangan, when I stumbled upon the idea of writing this article which deals with pollution. After the wedding ceremony, I was invited to the house of the bride, and as one of the wedding sponsors…was seated at the table for the banquet. Suddenly a horde of flies swarmed on the… food being served… I was not able to swallow a single spoonful …I talked with some of the residents (who)…intimated that some families eat inside a mosquito net so that flies cannot pester them while eating…I could only shake my head in disgust, thinking of the germs and the horrible diseases which may come with the food contaminated by the flies… It was then that I started writing about it…in an effort to make authorities and the community alike to show concern and perhaps arrive at solutions to the problem…— Allan Mediante Editor, The Mindanao Gold Star Daily, Cagayan de Oro

MABUHAY Civic Journalism Forum
LUNGSOD NG MALOLOS—Bilang pagdiriwang ng ika-25 anibersaryo, pangungunahan ng Mabuhay ang “Civic Journalism Forum” o makasaysayang pagtitipon ng ibat-ibang sektor ng lipunan ngayong Biyernes, ika-28 ng Enero sa Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center (HBCC) sa pagnanais na higit na mapatatag ang pamayanang ginagalawan ng lingguhang pahayagan.
Ang civic journalism ay higit na nakatuon sa pamamahayag kung saan ang kasapi ng bawat sektor ay binibigyan ng pagkakataon na isatinig ang kanilang boses o opinyon sa mga problema sa kanilang mga komunidad, gayon din ang mga posibleng solusyon.
Ang Mabuhay ay isa sa mga pahayagang nananatili sa simulaing mapaglingkuran ang pamayanan dahil sa paniniwalang ang demokrasya at ang pangako nitong kaunlaran at kasaganaan ay nakasalalay sa pamayanang may sapat na kabatiran hatid ng malaya at responsableng pamamahayag.
Para kay Juan Mercado, isa sa mga pangunahing kolumnista ng Mabuhay, ang pamamahayag ay hindi lamang isang hanapbuhay, kundi isang pagtugon sa panawagan na may mataas na pagpapahalaga sa paglilingkod sa bayan.
“Above all, a paper will survive if its journalists work by values that endure,” ani Mercado. — Mabuhay’s Silver Anniversary Issue, Jan. 28 – Feb. 3, 2005

AIJC offering Civic Journalism Course
The growing interest in civic journalism as a more focused approach to getting more voices into news stories, people to help themselves and to take action to solve their problems, and for the media themselves to address the need to promote the professional and ethical practice of the craft, prompted the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) to open a course on civic journalism for graduate students. PPI executive director Jose Pavia has been a lecturer on said course. Other journalism and communications schools have been incorporation Civic Journalism in classroom lectures. Journalism teachers who were part of the screening process of the Community Press Awards took it upon themselves to ‘propagate’ Civic Journalism in academic discourse.

Follow-up media training
The foundation has been laid and the walls are up. The seeds have been planted and have sprouted. The fields are alive and communities are busy building with a press that has found new vigor and has given sharper focus to reportage, citizens eager to let their voices heard and take action to address issues and concerns, and media institutions and organizations keen on promoting professional and ethical journalism to help keep and rebuild the credibility of the press as a catalyst for community action and development.

Still the promise of a good harvest could be obtained only if water continues to flow, the sun provides the heat and the farmer keeps pruning; or the prospect of building better communities realized only if the builder provides for a follow-up or maintenance program to sustain growth and development.

When the first phase of the project officially ended in 2010, TCCEC expressed their intent to support PPI’s efforts in sustaining Civic Journalism. The PPI welcomed this development since it has been considering to renew the partnership. In April 2011, the TCCEC and PPI inked a memorandum of agreement on “Three Years Sustainability Project on Civic Journalism”.