Twenty (20) Pollution Control Officers (PCO) of McDonalds food chain from regions 7 and 6 successfully completed the 40 – hrs PCO Basic Training conducted by the Pollution Control Association of the Phils. Inc. – Region 7 (PCAPI7) in cooperation with the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Region 7 (EMB – DENR7). Under DENR’s Department Administrative Order 2014 -02, all companies/establishments/ institutions/ LGUs with pollution potential are required to have a full-time PCO who will be overseeing the environmental management of the organization, ensuring that environmental laws are complied with.
Before they can take on the post, PCOs must be accredited by DENR. Part of the accreditation requirement is the completion of a 40-hrs training on various environmental laws and reporting/ permitting requirements of DENR. This is to ensure that the PCOs will be able to perform their duties and responsibilities effectively.
The training was held in McDonalds Store located inside AEGIS Building at IT Park. Select resource speakers from EMB7 gave lectures and workshops on the module topics set by EMB Central Office. Part of the training module is a visit to waste management facilities in the region with good environmental practices. Lapu-lapu City’s common sewage treatment facility in Barangay Basak and Material Recovery Facility (MRF) located at Soong, Barangay Pusok proved to be great sites to learn from. It was heartening to know the seriousness and the effort put in by Lapu-lapu City government on waste management.
