BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The management of the Victorias Milling Company (VMC) Inc. dismissed yesterday all allegations hurled against their distillery plant in Manapla town, Negros Occidental calling them “baseless” and “unsubstantiated.”
President Minnie Chua of VMC maintained that they have not violated any laws, contrary to claims of various groups that the distillery is operating illegally among other issues.
Chua said that VMC has regularly and consistently budgeted and spent on capital expenditure to address environmental concerns, particularly on the reported foul odor around the distillery since early 2020.
VMC has invested in modern structures and technological processes to eliminate odor, Chua said in a statement issued by the firm and cited that its most recent installation of an Anaerobic Digester to lessen the presence of odor-causing bacteria in the slops by 60 to 70 percent and converting it to biogas, the Automatic Flaring System that eliminates odor-causing gases; and improvements in wastewater treatment methods at the aeration ponds such as filtration, aeration and dosing of enzymes to counteract the odor-causing chemical reaction in the digesters.
She added that additional units of aspirating surface aerators in the Aeration Ponds to help eliminate odor were also installed.
“We have invested over P200 million on these improvements to ensure we are environmentally compliant and the residents can attest to this,” Chua said.
She also explained that the distillery is covered with the proper Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the DENR/EMB for the operation of its vacuum distillation, dehydrator and irrigation ponds.
Chua also said it as “unfair” to accuse the mayor’s office of Manapla and all concerned government agencies for taking side with them, stressing also that VMC is doing its part in following due process and complying with the necessary regulatory and reportorial requirements.
Conducting tree planting activities in areas surrounding the industrial and natural polishing lagoons and aeration ponds to serve as natural air purifiers, and helping the establishment of multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) with local governments of Manapla and Cadiz City is no longer a requirement by the EMB, Chua also said.
She said that VMC believes this will set up a proper venue for community members to raise and resolve issues or complaints immediately with the representative government officials and agencies.
Chua also disputed allegations that the distillery is encroaching on other people’s properties, or that VMC is receiving any payment from Land Bank for the said properties.
On the non-Security Exchange Commission registration, Chua also pointed out that VMC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.
As part of the entire VMC business operation, the VMC Distillery – Alcohol Bioethanol is not a separate entity and is sanctioned by the Primary and Secondary Purposes of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of VMC which has been duly approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, as such, was legitimately granted a Business Permit by the Municipality of Manapla, she stressed.*
