PHILCEMENT Corp., a unit of publicly listed Phinma Corp., on Monday said it launched its first cement facility at the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles, Bataan.
The Philcement Plant and Port in Mariveles is the first of its kind in the Philippines, and potentially one of the largest in the world with an initial, annual capacity of 2 million tons of cement.
With highly automated equipment, the facility will allow Philcement to serve the growing demand for cement to consumers.
“As we inaugurate this Philcement plant and port facility with the largest bulk cement terminal in the country, which we are told is also the largest independent cement terminal in the world, we are strongly signaling the Phinma Group’s commitment to the country’s much-needed infrastructure development program,” Ramon del Rosario, Phinma president and CEO, said.
“We are today telling the world that we are back in cement and, like when we first began over 60 years ago with a vision to help build the nation, we are back with that same burning desire to make it our business to help build the nation by playing a significant role in infrastructure development,” he said.
Phinma started its cement business in in 1956 after the acquisition of the Cebu Portland Cement Co. plant in Bacnotan, La Union.
Through the years, it took over the management of cement plants in Bulacan, Rizal and Davao—expanding its stake in the industry with quality cement under the Union Cement brand.
It then left the business with the entry of multinational cement players.
Phinma returned to the cement industry after it registered its cement company Philcement in September 2017, aiming to produce approximately 3 million metric tons (MMT) of cement per year.
The company, however, will start as a cement importer.
Phinma imported 50,000 MT of cement, or approximately 2 million sacks, from Vietnam. It plans to import the same amount per quarter for a total of 200,000 MT a year.
Philcement is headed by Eduardo Sahagun, a retired chief executive of Holcim Philippines Inc. who joined Phinma less than a year after retiring.