Salzer Consulting : Managing community relations in the Philippines

Managing community relations in the Philippines

A major building products manufacturer was developing a green-field site, potentially a source of pollution, in a remote part of the Philippines. The client wished to minimise environmental risks and ensure that the local community was fully involved and supportive.

Key issues included the plant extracting large volumes of water from a finite water table, the risk of polluting the local river and providing access for squatters living on the river banks.

Salzer Consulting helped secure the support of the local community and environmental monitoring was provided by a neutral third party. The process included four environmental impact studies and in-depth negotiations with local officials and community leaders.

The process included:

Local Employment: Local officials were advised of the client’s employment needs prior to the positions being advertised regionally. Extensive due diligence ensured a suitable mix of local and regional employees
Community Incentives: The client initiated scholarships to the regional high school for the best local students. These were decided jointly by the company executives and community leaders.
Community Monitoring Committee: Third-party results were reviewed by company executives, community leaders and the provincial government regulators. All costs had to be approved by the company executives to prevent a “blank cheque” mentality.

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