Stronger @ 55: Always First!

Happy Birthday First Farmers!

First Farmers Holding Corporation (FFHC) is 55 years old!  And like sugarcane, it gets sweeter as it comes of age.

When the first cornerstone was laid down on April 19, 1964 by no less than then President Diosdado Macapagal, the Founding Fathers saw to it that the vision and aspirations that were planted will not only grow but, most importantly, survive the challenges and tests of time.

And survived it did.  That foundation-laying made way to the construction of the sugar mill that grinded its first canes on January 27, 1965.  Now, over a half century hence, 55 years into the future, FFHC has accomplished a proud legacy of firsts.

First Farmers was born out of necessity.  The pioneering spirit of the men and women behind its inception were ahead of their time.  When no one else dared to confront adversities at that time, the pioneers rolled up their sleeves, got to the drawing board, stuck to their belief, and stood ground against the uncertainties of the future. 

Change was needed.  And that change gave birth to the First Farmers Milling Company, Inc., the forerunner of the present-day FFHC. 

If you want to know more about the Story of the First Farmers, follow this link.

Legacy of firsts

It was a bold move and it took a lot of guts.  It was the first legacy.

Back in the late 50s up to the early 60s, negotiations for a new milling contract between the Talisay-Silay Milling Company and the Talisay-Silay Planters’ Association were in a stalemate.  Issues remained unresolved and the milling company was adamant in its position that the sugar planters must abide by the new provision that charged them 20 centavos per picul, with escalations over time, for the exported sugar delivered by the sugar central aboard a ship.  This was a departure from the previous practice of shipping the product for free. 

The planters also bemoaned arbitrary acts by the mill that drastically affected their capacity to sustain the economic viability of their farm operations.

The impasse led to a unanimous resolution by the sugar planters from the Talisay-Silay Milling District to discontinue milling from the Talisay – Silay Milling Company and expressed their collective desire to put up a sugar manufacturing facility of their own.

It was a daring proposition.  All sugar mills in the Philippines at that time were put up and operated by private investors and corporations.  Sugar planters were merely sources of the vital raw material – sugarcane. 

For sugar planters to put up and operate a milling facility by themselves was a very risky paradigm shift, never before attempted and was not even an option.  But FFHC is not one to stand by the side and watch as history unfolds.  Like its Founding Fathers, FFHC is one to create a story of its own.

That is why First Farmers is Always First.

1. It is the first and only sugar manufacturing facility in the Philippines that is owned and operated by the sugar planters themselves.  From a single smokestack back in 1965, it is now a flourishing industrial complex with ventures in power as well as forays in food processing and aquaculture in the past.
2. First Farmers is the first sugar mill in the country that was given the Certificate of Endorsement by the Department of Energy (DOE) as a Renewable Energy Developer.  FFHC was among the very few in the country who correctly forecasted the “green” revolution.  When it constructed its co-generation facility in the 1990s, the concept of renewable energy in the country was still at its infancy at that time.  FFHC was the first sugar manufacturing facility that successfully converted its bagasse (sugarcane waste) into power.  In recognition of its contribution to the country’s renewable energy program, FFHC was given the Hall of Fame Award by the DOE during the 35^th Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Awards (DEAEEA) last December 7, 2017.  DEAEEA is an annual awarding ceremony in honor and recognition of individuals and organizations with outstanding performance in energy efficiency and conservation.
3. In 2004, it was the first ISO 14001-certified sugarmill in the country.  ISO 14001 is the international standard for designing and implementing an Environmental Management System.  The standard is established by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), an international body that creates and distributes standards that are accepted worldwide.

In 1997, the Philippine Sugar Millers Association (PSMA) recognized First Farmers as the Most Environment-Friendly sugar mill in the country.