Leading cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines has revived its terminal in Calaca, Batangas, to give it more logistical elbow room in anticipation of higher demand likely to be spurred by robust private and public construction spending. Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President for commercial operations Ed Sahagun announced that the company re-commissioned the facility to increase its ability to meet the cement demands of Metro Luzon. "The Metro Luzon area is one of the growth centers of the country. The highways and urban centers being built in this area are proofs of its economic potential and dynamism. We have opened the Calaca facility to ensure the availability of our products to support these projects," he added.
Holcim spent about P63 mn to rehabilitate the facility and install modern operating systems and new equipment such as filters to reduce dust emissions when bagging cement. The company also leased a new vessel to serve the Calaca facility, primarily transporting cement from the company’s manufacturing plant in Lugait, Misamis Oriental. Sahagun explained that the reactivation of the Calaca terminal would also allow for more efficient logistics operations compared to using Holcim’s Bulacan plant as a hub. He also noted that the facility would provide additional tax revenues for the local government as well as direct and indirect employment to about a hundred beneficiaries.