(L-R) Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) Senior Vice President Makoto Tanabe, APC Chief Sustainability Officer Ernie Carlos, ACEN Senior Account Manager Elisah Cabato, APC President Koichi Ozaki, APF Bulacan Factory Director Juanito Ramos Jr. and APF Bulacan Factory Manager Kei Tanigawa.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) continues to be one of the industry forerunners when it comes to advocating for mitigating plastic waste and reducing its carbon footprint. Over the years, the Ajinomoto Group has been launching and introducing initiatives dedicated for environmental causes, and APC has been following suit with this movement that hopefully, will prepare the future generations for a greener and more sustainable future.

Just this year, APC launched the SariCycle™ Program with the Quezon City Local Government and Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies (BEST) Incorporated. This program allows for an incentivized model of community initiative that mitigates single-use plastic waste and encourages everyone in the community to take part as custodians of the environment. Since its launch in January 2024, the SariCycle™ Program was able to on-board 359 sari-sari stores in Quezon City and was already able to collect more than 1,000 kilograms of single-use plastics within just 3 months of operation. The program provides incentives to supplement the livelihoods of its store partners, dubbed “SariCyclers”, in the form of Ajinomoto product bundles and Environmental Points (EPs) which can be spent as cash in participating merchants.

Following this was the official signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between APC and ACEN RES. Back in 2022, a 1MW-peak capacity Solar Rooftop installation on the APF Bulacan Factory comprised of more 2,000 solar panels was energized, effectively reducing its annual carbon footprint from electricity consumption by 18%.Today, APF Bulacan is running on 100% renewable energy. Since January of 2024, the APF Bulacan Factory has saved around Php 2,000,000 in electrical expenses and has reduced their monthly carbon footprint by ~95% by transitioning to full renewable energy. To commemorate the turnout of these efforts, APC and ACEN conducted a Badge Turnover Ceremony. APC was one of the first companies to receive the new generation of ACEN Renewable Energy Badge – awarded to partner facilities who are supplied with 100% renewable energy.

The AjiPanda Diner at Ajinomoto Philippines Flavor Food, Inc. or APF Bulacan Factory.

Aside from being a beacon of sustainability, the APF Bulacan Factory also boasts of its newly opened canteen that serves healthy and good food! At the official opening of the “AjiPanda Diner”, a factory tour was also conducted for some of Ajinomoto Philippines’ invited guests from the media. The group were first given a brief history of Ajinomoto, an orientation on the factory dresscode, safety precautions and the proper conduct during the tour before heading to each station at the factory. The tour was concluded with a lunch buffet highlighting Filipino dishes we all grew up loving like Chicken Tinola, Pork Adobo and Chopsuey, all thoughtfully cooked using Ajinomoto products.

Ajinomoto Philippines’ media guests are all suit up at the Production Area during their factory tour at APF Bulacan.

Aside from the cozy and relaxing ambiance at the AjiPanda Diner, all employees at the Bulacan Factory also enjoy free vegetable dishes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as part of APC Group’s Workplace Nutrition Program. True to its name “AjiPanda Diner” the canteen shares the wholesome Ajinomoto experience through culinary service, not just for its employees, but also for factory visitors. Within the complex, employees and visitors can feast their eyes on an array of sumptuous dishes cooked with Ajinomoto products to ensure that every meal is served with quality and the best flavors!

ONE TEAM. All smiles under the scorching heat at the façade of APF Bulacan’s newly opened AjiPanda Diner.

Looking back at these milestones, APC is honored to share that their commitment to achieving their goals for sustainability based on their 2030 Roadmap remains as resolute as they have always been. Projects launched over the years by APC continue to adapt and evolve according to the needs of the Filipino community but remain to serve its ultimate purpose of taking care of the environment where everyone can truly Eat Well, and Live Well, through the Ajinomoto way of life.