Residents of Barangay Cabid-An, Sorsogon City reported to the station on July 11 about the foul smell coming from the river in Sitio Ilawod, which originates from the discarded coconut water from the Peter Paul Philippines Corporation (PPPC) plant. They expressed their outrage in an interview with Brigada Sorsogon. Many children reportedly fell ill from of the smell and fisherfolk have also been adversely affected.
The Cabid-an Fisherfolk Association said that before PPPC arrived, fishers earned at least ₱1,500 daily. Now, they are lucky to earn ₱50 in a day.
PPPC denied responsibility and said they are not the only establishment near the barangay that could spew toxic water.
Since PPPC started operations in Sorsogon City in January 2013, Sorsoganons have filed various complaints against the plant. These included the noise and smoke from the facility, contamination of creeks and fishponds that killed fish, and the destruction of mangroves in Sorsogon Bay. The company was later discovered to have operated without an environmental permit. The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 5 also released findings that the plant discharged toxic waste into the water. Authorities temporarily shut it down for this.
When PPPC resumed operations, it continued to illegally dump factory waste into the river flowing into Sorsogon Bay. The problem remains unresolved even after residents, fisherfolk, and church people repeatedly urged government officials and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the city to investigate PPPC.
Several past mayors of the city also threatened multiple times to close the company in response to the complaints but nothing happened.
Peter Paul Philippines Corporation (PPPC), also known as Consolidated Coconut Corporation, is a former subsidiary of Peter Paul Inc. of Connecticut, USA. The company supplies coconut water, desiccated coconut, virgin coconut oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut flour, and copra to various companies. PPPC was first established in the Philippines in 1946 in Candelaria, Quezon, followed by the plant in Sorsogon. In 2021, it built a third plant in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental.
PPPC operates the world’s largest facility producing 22,000 metric tons of desiccated coconut per year. In 2024, the company’s earnings reached $5.1 million.
