Pilmico bags three awards at the Livestock Philippines 2023

Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation (Pilmico), part of the agribusiness subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group, received recognition for its excellence in feed mill and farm operations at the Livestock Philippines 2023 last July 5, 2023, at The World Trade Center in Metro Manila. 

Pilmico’s feed mills received the “Excellent Performance in Commercial Feed Mill for Swine and Poultry,” while Pilmico’s Farms division accepted the “Environment-Friendly Corporation”  award for its sustainable practices. Some of their practices include a wastewater management system wherein the farms’ by-products are treated to be recycled, which helps prevent pollution and odors. 

The event was organized by Informa Markets and supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA). In attendance were President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar. Representatives of the DA led the recognition, including Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and Assistant Secretary Engr. Arnel De Mesa

“We’re thrilled and grateful to receive three awards from the Livestock Philippines, which recognizes our contributions to the growth and development of the agricultural industry. This recognition definitely motivates us further to continue fostering excellence in our products, services, and operations,” said Norie Bermudez, Agribusiness Country Director – PH of Pilmico and Gold Coin Group. 

In addition to Norie Bermudez, accepting the award on behalf of Pilmico were Farm Operations Technical Director Carlos Gerle, Vice President for Quality, Safety, Health, Environment, and Process (QSHEP) Ma. Cleo Flores, and Senior Supervisor for Safety and Environment Christy Gawidan. 

“We thank the organization for recognizing our efforts to become a more environmentally friendly and sustainable institution. We know we still have a long way to go, but we’re proud of the steps we’ve taken to reduce our environmental impact, and this award is a confirmation that we are on the right track,” added Gerle. 

Pilmico is one of the leading agribusinesses in the Philippines, with operations in manufacturing feeds and managing poultry and swine farms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Livestock Philippines 2023 and why is recognition from it significant?
Livestock Philippines is a major industry event organized by Informa Markets and supported by the Department of Agriculture, bringing together the country’s top agribusiness players, government officials, and policymakers. The 2023 edition was held at the World Trade Center in Metro Manila and drew attendance from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar. Recognition at this platform carries institutional weight, as awards are presented by senior DA officials and reflect industry-wide evaluation of operational excellence and environmental responsibility.

Q2: What were the three awards received and what do they recognize?
Two distinct categories of achievement were recognized. The feed mills division received the “Excellent Performance in Commercial Feed Mill for Swine and Poultry,” acknowledging operational standards and production quality across swine and poultry feed manufacturing. The Farms division received the “Environment-Friendly Corporation” award, recognizing sustainable farm management practices — specifically a wastewater management system that treats farm by-products for recycling, reducing both pollution and odor. The triple recognition spans manufacturing performance and environmental stewardship, reflecting a breadth of operational excellence rather than achievement in a single area.

Q3: What specific environmental practice earned the Environment-Friendly Corporation award?
The recognized practice centers on a wastewater management system that processes farm by-products — primarily waste generated by swine and poultry operations — and treats them for recycling rather than disposal. This closed-loop approach addresses two persistent challenges in livestock farming: water pollution from untreated effluent entering surrounding soil and waterways, and odor issues that affect nearby communities and working conditions. By converting waste streams into reusable outputs, the approach reduces the environmental footprint of farm operations while demonstrating that commercial-scale livestock production can be managed with meaningful sustainability controls in place.

Q4: What does this triple recognition signal about the direction of Philippine agribusiness?
The fact that a single company received awards across both operational excellence and environmental performance at the same event reflects a broader industry shift — commercial agribusinesses in the Philippines are increasingly being evaluated not just on productivity metrics, but on environmental accountability. Government backing of the awards, through DA representation at the highest levels, signals that sustainability is becoming a formal criterion in how the state assesses and promotes agricultural enterprise. For farmers and agribusiness investors, this points toward a future where environmental compliance is not optional but an expected standard of competitive operations.

Q5: What does Farm Operations Technical Director Carlos Gerle’s statement reveal about the company’s sustainability outlook?
Gerle’s remarks — acknowledging there is still a long way to go while expressing pride in progress made — reflect a maturity in how leading agribusinesses communicate on sustainability. Rather than treating the award as a destination, the framing positions it as confirmation of a trajectory. This is meaningful for stakeholders evaluating long-term partners: it signals that environmental improvements are ongoing commitments embedded in operational planning, not isolated initiatives pursued for recognition. It also sets an honest tone about the scale of environmental challenges in livestock farming and the sustained effort required to address them meaningfully.