CEMEX provides building solutions for one of the largest road infrastructure projects in the Philippines
CEMEX in the Philippines is providing cement for the Millennium Road Project, part of a US$214 million infrastructure package that will connect 15 municipalities in Samar, a province located in the country’s Eastern Visayas region. Phase one is expected to reach completion by November 2013.
CEMEX’s APO cement plant, which is situated strategically in the Visayas, will supply the required materials via its jetty port, considered the most modern facility of its type in the country to date. The project is the result of an important public-private alliance between the government of the Philippines and important local and global institutions such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.
The Millennium Road Project’s first package comprises the rehabilitation of a 16-kilometer stretch of road, the replacement of one bridge, and the repair of two other bridges. The road begins at the junction of the Pan Philippine Highway and Buray (Wright) in Western Samar and passes along mountainous terrain to Taft. From Taft, it continues southward along the coastline of Eastern Samar ending in Guiuan. The total length of the road is approximately 222 kilometers. The project is expected to make the road safer, and help improve the lives of the residents in neighboring communities.
The Philippines was one of the highlights of CEMEX’s performance in the first quarter of 2013. “The regional increase in cement volumes in Asia during the quarter reflects the positive performance of our operations in the Philippines,” said Fernando Gonzalez, CEMEX Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration.
In 2012, the Philippines had GDP growth of 6.6%, the second largest rate in Asia, behind only China. In September 2012 CEMEX announced that it is expanding the cement production capacity of its APO plant in the Philippines by 1.5 million metric tons per year, consistent with its strategy of placing assets in markets with opportunities for growth. Through an investment of approximately US$60 million, the company will increase production and strengthen its distribution network to better serve high-demand areas throughout the country. The increase is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2014.
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries throughout the world. CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through its efforts to pursue innovative industry solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.