Honoring its responsibility to the environment, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has turned over to ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan program collected used lead acid batteries and used industrial oil so these could be disposed in line with proper environmental standards.

Included in the Bantay Kalikasan program are the Bantay Baterya and Bantay Langis projects that encourage various companies to donate waste products earmarked for disposal. Once accepted, Bantay Kalikasan and its partners, Genetron International Marketing and Oriental & Motolite Marketing Corporation, process all documents required by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, then proceed to transport, store, treat or recycle the waste products. The monetary value of the recycled products is turned over by Genetron International Marketing and Oriental & Motolite Marketing Corporation to the ABS-CBN Foundation.

Lead is toxic and poses risks to humans and the environment, necessitating the methodical disposal of used lead acid batteries. Used industrial oil can cause water, soil and air pollution, with one liter of it enough to contaminate one million liters of fresh/surface water. Its hydrocarbon contents are also carcinogenic, putting human health at risk.

IPC turned over to Bantay Kalikasan 3 tons of assorted used batteries of varying sizes and 3,000 liters of used oil. The donation is in line with IPC’s continuing relevant advocacies on environmental protection and preservation, which in turn forms part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

“Isuzu Philippines Corporation conducts its operations with the utmost respect for the environment in mind,” IPC Vice President for Manufacturing Koichi Tamura said. “This can be gleaned from the fact that IPC’s world-class plant carries ISO 14001:2004 certification, meaning it adheres to the strictest environment-friendly practices. Our donation to ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan program shows how serious we are at pursuing our corporate advocacy for clean and green manufacturing.”

Through the years, IPC has conducted numerous projects benefitting the environment, which include the staging of an ecological show for children, donation of tilapia fingerlings and garbage traps in Laguna Lake, creation of a man-made forest strip in Quezon, planting of mangroves in Pangasinan, adoption of a tree nursery in Mount Makiling, and involvement in a parks conservation campaign, among others.