Distilling the Issues in VMC Distillery (4th & Last Part)

Victorias Milling Company is an institution in the sugar industry. Established in 1919, it is the first sugar mill in Negros, and second in the Philippines, to establish a sugar refinery in 1928.

VMC is the second sugar mill constructed by Don Miguel J. Ossorio. The first was the North Negros Sugar Company (Nonsuco) in Manapla in 1917. In 1928, Nonsuco became the first sugar mill in Negros to operate an alcohol distillery.

After World War II, Nonsuco ceased operations due to damages incurred during the war. But the old site of the mill was later converted into an alcohol distillery by VMC.

The present operations of VMC’s distillery in Brgy. Purisima, Manapla has drawn flak from residents, including former employees and farm workers.

Issues hurled against the distillery range from environmental degradation, reckless endangerment of nearby residents, land-grabbing and eviction of agrarian reform beneficiaries, and lack of pertinent business documents and permits.

In an effort to shed more light on the issues, Negros Daily Bulletin recently interviewed concerned stakeholders who are complaining against the operations of VMC’s distillery.

These are former VMC employee Randy Bacaron, resident Ronald Deocadez, long-time resident and environmentalist Joemarie Almogia, and 71-year old Dolores Managaytay, Vice-Chairman of the 105 agrarian reform beneficiaries to whom the contested 106 hectares VMC landholding was awarded by the Department of Agrarian Reform.

NDB also sought the side of VMC.

This marks the first time that the company issued a public statement on the controversy.

In a deviation from traditional feature presentation, NDB will paraphrase the direct statements, translated from the vernacular, of the stakeholders and, at the end of their statements on every issue, NDB will present VMC’s stand.

The first three parts of this story were published in NDB’s previous issues. This is the fourth and last part of this series.

Lack of Business Documents & Permits

Randy Bacaron:

The VMC distillery here in Brgy. Purisima, Manapla is not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We secured a certification from SEC that there is no registration of any company or corporation named VMC distillery.

Sugar and alcohol are distinct from each other. Sugar business and alcohol business are different entities.

Ronald Deocadez:

We are at a loss on which government agency to approach to seek help on this problem with VMC distillery.

We checked with the Securities and Exchange Commission office in Bacolod, which issued a negative certification on VMC distillery.

You have seen what a large company VMC distillery is. Such a large business has no registration with SEC. It puzzles us how the distillery can continue operating without a SEC registration.

We are also puzzled with the policy of Manapla Mayor Manolet Escalante. In our town, you will be immediately apprehended if you operate a public transport business, even just a tricycle, without a business permit.

But Manapla officials seem to apply a different policy to VMC distillery. It is a very big company which earns millions every day, but it appears they are exempted from the business requirements of Manapla.

VMC Statement:

VMC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.

As part of the entire VMC business operation, the VMC Distillery – Alcohol Bioethanol is not a separate entity and covered by Sections 2 and 8 of the Secondary Purposes enclosed in the Second Article of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of VMC, which has been duly approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, as such, was legitimately granted a Business Permit of the Municipality of Manapla.*(Butch Bacaoco)