Affirming its commitment to environmental sustainability, Tanduay Distillers Inc. joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) call for volunteers for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) last September 20.

Tanduay employee-volunteers took part in the coastal cleanup of Dolomite Beach in Manila Bay, and collected a total of 191.21 kilograms of waste from the shoreline.

“By participating in the ICC, we are further reinforcing our company-wide commitment to sustainable and responsible business practices. Tanduay has been joining coastal cleanups and tree-planting activities for years now. Beyond that, we have internal policies that promote sustainable practices such as solid waste management, which is implemented from our head office to our other plants around the country,” said Francheska Cruz, Tanduay Group Safety, Environment and Risk Management (GSERM) Officer.

Jona Lalo, Sustainability Reporting Staff, said that Tanduay’s participation in the ICC is also part of Tanduay’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

“We have different CSR efforts in a year not just in our head office, but also in our plants in Cabuyao, El Salvador and Negros. Our plants also have their own initiatives. Our invitation to join the ICC came from our parent company, the Lucio Tan Group. Once we received the invitation, our team immediately mobilized volunteers. Employees from different departments expressed their enthusiasm to join,” she said.

Among the Tanduay employee-volunteers who took part in the ICC were long-time and first-time participants, who were each moved by the experience.

“Tanduay has always been active in cleanup activities, and I’m proud to contribute to the continuing effort. It feels fulfilling to know that a simple act of collecting waste can help protect marine life, keep our coast clean, and benefit the community that depends on it. It’s an eye-opening activity. It reminds us that our daily choices really do affect the environment,” said Mel Reyes from Tanduay’s Accounting Department.

Returning volunteer Ariane Fuentes shared that while the activity may be tiring, it was very satisfying.

“It makes me happy to know that I am helping in making a positive impact for the future,” she said.

Tanduay Administrative Staff Renchester Amores echoes Fuentes’ sentiment.

“Masarap sa pakiramdam na may ganitong makabuluhang gawain. Sa buong buhay natin, puro lang tayo ‘me, myself, and I’. Ngayon dito, for everybody na. It’s a collaborative action, kumbaga hindi ka lang sarili pero yung makatao, makakalikasan, at makabansa. (It’s a nice feeling to have meaningful activities like this. In our life, we tend to focus on ‘me, myself, and I’. Here, the activity benefits everybody. It’s a collaborative action. It’s not just for yourself; it’s for humanity, the environment, and the country),” he said.

The ICC is the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean and waterway protection. This year’s theme was “Clean Seas Against the Climate Crisis.” According to the DENR, over 25,000 volunteers from different partner-organizations joined the cleanup activities in Metro Manila alone. Nationwide, 86,000 volunteers took part in the event across 298 sites.