Saving the planet one compressor at a time

Quezon City - One Atlas Copco’s main thrusts is to innovate products and services for our customers and partners. We want to share these innovations so that we could give them efficient and powerful air power solutions to choose from.

We did just that when we were guests at the 36th Metalcasters’ Convention: Annual General Membership Meeting and Elections of the Philippine Metalcasting Association Inc. (PMAI) last June 19, 2008 at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City.

The PMAI invited us to give a presentation on how to “Protect your bottom line with air power solutions that protect the Earth.” Industrial Air’s Business Line Manager Eric Alfonso, and Product Engineer Leo Basilio showed the PMAI members how they could have the best of both worlds (taking care of the environment while taking care of business) by highlighting our Variable Speed Drive (VSD) compressors.

The VSD compressors can reduce energy costs by an average of 25% and overall compressor life cycle costs by an average of 22% by tuning compressor capacity to the air demand. The resulting savings have a substantial environmental impact, reflecting our dedication to safeguarding a healthy future for generations to come.

We're saving the planet one air compressor at a time, starting with the PMAI.

Atlas Copco on DZMM

We’re proud to have been featured in “Bago Yan Ah!,” a weekly award-winning program hosted by Angelo Palmones that educates and empowers listeners through science and technology, last June 8, 2008. The show is aired every Sunday, 4:30pm on DZMM 630AM, and on DZMM TeleRadyo.

Nelson Roque, Oil Free Business Line Manager, talked about our Variable Speed Drive technology. Hector Melencio, CT Marketing Specialist, elaborated on Adopt a School.

Variable Speed Drive Technology

We hope to educate not just engineers and technicians, but also students and teachers of engineering and science about the options available to cut on energy costs and protect the environment in turn.

Check the previous post for more details on Variable Speed Drive Technology.

Adopt a School

Also, in our drive to help not just the environment, but society as a whole, we have made a seemingly small but nevertheless important step. We are helping the children and teaching staff of Agpan Elementary School located at Barangay Imelda, Bunawan, Agusan Del Sur. This school may not be located in a metropolitan area, but we feel that in order to make a difference, we need to reach out to those in far places. We want to arm them with knowledge; knowledge that would help them make a difference in the future.

Know more about our Adopt a School program in the previous posts (June 5 to 7).

Protect your bottom line with air power solutions that protect the Earth

Most if not all forms of manufacturing and production, such as construction, semicon, packaging, even food and medicine processing, rely on compressed air power systems to drive their pneumatic devices and machines. With the rising cost of fuel and energy costs, it has become more and more difficult for manufacturers to produce the same products for the same amount or resources.

We at Atlas Copco Philippines may have something to help ease this burden.

Aside from being extremely reliable and efficient, our air compressors are equipped with VSDs (Variable Speed Drives). Although this is not an entirely new technology, we feel that what we have is economically and environmentally relevant to the current times.

With our VSD systems, you get the best of both worlds. The cost of compressed air can represent over 40% of your total electrical costs. We want to help you spend less.

Our VSD (Variable Speed Drive) compressors can reduce energy costs by an average of 35% and overall compressor lifecycle costs (LCC) by an average of 22% by tuning compressor capacity to the air demand.

The resulting energy and cost savings have a substantial environmental impact, reflecting your dedication to safeguarding a healthy future for generations to come.

For more details on the benefits of VSD, don't hesitate to call us.

Adopt a School part 3

Davao City - With Dr. Vic Salvado of Mindanao Philsaga Foundation, we then proceeded to Bunawan, Agusan Del Sur for the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between the Department of Education and Atlas Copco Philippines.

We weren’t expecting anything at all. Maybe a quick photo op with Jonnie and the DepEd representative signing the document, and that’s it.

But what happened during the MOA signing was a complete surprise. The folks at the Agusan Del Note Regional DepEd office prepared a short program to celebrate the event, complete with invocation, singing of the national anthem, photo ops, giveaway distribution and entertainment! Ms. Crucita ZM. Taala – Schools Division Superintendent, Ms. Corazon A. Otaza – Bunawan District in Charge, and Ms. Victoria P. Chagas – Asst. Schools Division Superintendent represented the DepEd. Around 30 or so teachers and administrators present.

After the MOA signing, we went back to Davao with a sense of gratitude and pride. We were thankful for the chance to make an impact in the lives of our brethren. We felt that somehow, in our own little way, we have made a difference, no matter how small, in the lives of others.

Fast Facts

Did you know that Republic Act 8525 established the “Adopt-a-School” Program? Here are excerpts from RA 8525:

“Sec. 3. Adopt-a-School Program. — There is hereby established the "Adopt-a-School Program" which will allow private entities to assist a public school, whether elementary, secondary, or tertiary, preferably located in any of the twenty (20) poorest provinces identified by the Presidential Council for Countryside Development or any other government agency tasked with identifying the poorest provinces in, but not limited to, the following areas: staff and faculty development for training and further education; construction of facilities; upgrading of existing facilities, provision of books, publications and other instructional materials; and modernization of instructional technologies.

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) specifying the details of the adoption shall be entered into between the adopting entity and the head of the school concerned: Provided, That such MOA shall be subject to review and approval of the Superintendent of Schools of the province or district concerned: Provided, further, That the agreement shall last for at least two (2) years with the possibility of extension.”

- Hector Melencio, CT Marketing Specialist

Adopt a School Part 2

Davao City - We (Jonnie, Vic, Percy and me) left the hotel at around 6:30am. We’re on our way to Philsaga Mining Corporation, one of our loyal customers. We’re tying up with them for the Adopt-a-School program, through their Mindanao Philsaga Foundation.

Except for the near accidents we’ve had with pedestrians (Vic was driving), we had a relatively uneventful 3-hour ride to the Philsaga Mining site in Rosario, Agusan del Sur. With the country roads surprisingly wide and well paved, we managed to average a 100kph over the idyllic country side.

Upon reaching the site, we were greeted by Dr. Victor Salvado, the President of Mindanao Philsaga Foundation. Once we were all settled in their conference room, he proceeded to tell us more about the Adopt-a-School Program.

We were to “adopt” Agpan Elementary School, one of the most under-equipped schools in the area. Agusan del Sur is one of the 20 poorest regions in the country, and is experiencing some insurgency problems.

We then found out that to reach Agpan Elementary School, one has to travel around 2 hours on an improvised motorcycle (habal-habal” as the locals call it) through rough, unpaved and muddy roads.

Dr. Salvado continued, “Unfortunately, Agpan Elementary School is practicing a multi-grade system, where one teacher is handling multiple grade levels. Let’s take Grades 1 and 2 for example. The school just has 1 teacher for both these grade levels. To add to their concerns, both Grades are taught in 1 classroom due to the lack of classrooms.”

“With the help of the Adopt-a-School program, we’ll immediately spend on constructing an additional classroom. More importantly, we could improve to a mono-grade system. We’ll add one teacher so that each Grade level would have 1 teacher to guide and monitor their progress. But with the limited funds, we’ll focus on Grades 1 and 2.”

“So why do we need to focus on Grades 1 and 2? Simply because both these grade levels form the educational foundation. Studies show that no matter how good the teachers are in the later year levels, such as Grade 5 up to high school, the students’ overall performance all depends on how they were taught in Grades 1 and 2.”

Simply put, laying down the proper foundation is the key. It’s like constructing a building. If you’re constructing the building on a very poor foundation, it won’t matter even if you use the most expensive and best materials and designs for the building itself.

After meeting the president of Philsaga Mining, we set off to Bunawan, one of the bigger towns in the region, to sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Education to formalize the deal.

- Hector Melencio, CT Marketing Specialist

Adopt a School part 1

Davao City - Onboard a PAL flight, I touched down in Davao City earlier today amid the heavy downpour from the dark heavy clouds. Vic Enojo, our Mindanao Solutions Engineer, picked me up at the airport to take me to one of the best hotels in the city. But due to the very heavy rain, traffic was so bad due to flooding in a number of main roads. The drive from the airport to the hotel, which usually just took 15 minutes, stretched to more than an hour.

As grumpy as we were inside the car, I couldn't help but notice the joy of children playing and swimming in the flood, with pure bliss painted on their innocent faces, unmindful of the danger of catching diseases in the dark flood waters.

We eventually reached the hotel to meet up with Jonnie Regis, the country General Manager, and Percival Bualat, VisMin Operation Manager. Earlier in the week, both went to Cebu and Cagayan de Oro to see how the branches were doing. After a nice dinner at Jack's Ridge, we called it a night. We have to leave early for Agusan Del Sur tomorrow.

- Hector Melencio, CT Marketing Specialist