“Sustainable” Future of LT Group from Mr. Tan Jr.

Lucio K. Tan, Jr., president, and chief operating officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Lucio K. Tan Jr. gave a glimpse of the sustainable future that the companies under the Lucio Tan (LT) Group will undertake and emphasized the need to develop clean and renewable energy projects during the company’s recent year-end gathering. 

In his customary year-end message, Tan Jr. encouraged his company executives to develop an ability to “go on offensive business mode” to adapt to a changing world advocating technologies that are environmentally-responsible and help ease the impacts of climate change. 

“Our thrust is to participate and develop clean and renewable energy projects for our sustainability...reduce our carbon footprint to underscore our commitment to help mitigate the effects of climate change. I believe this is incumbent upon us as a responsible corporate entity, where we can invest in technologies that will unravel economic opportunities for the group and our employees,” said the president and COO of Tanduay Distillers. 

The younger Tan revealed the revival of Asian Alcohol Corp. next year. It can be recalled that the operation of the Bacolod-based facility was temporarily suspended eight years ago. 

“Kapitan (Lucio Tan Sr.) made a strategic move to take one step backward in the hope of moving forward, a strategy that teaches us how to realize our future by our sacrifices of today. Next year, Asian Alcohol will begin its biofuel production. Like Absolut Distillers, it will blaze new paths and return to its old glory,” he divulged.

Lucio K. Tan, Jr., president and chief operating officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

Located in a 10-hectare plant, Asian Alcohol Corp. was the second largest distillery in the Philippines. The plant houses alcohol aging and wastewater treatment facilities, which converts distillery waste into biogas energy for its power requirements. It used to have a daily rated capacity of 210, 000 liters of quality ethyl alcohol.

With this development, Tan Jr. said, Asian Alcohol Corp. is expected to be patterned after the success of Absolut Distillers Inc. in Batangas, which has made more than Php880M from its bioethanol operations since 2015. 

On the other hand, he also revealed, Absolut Distillers has commissioned a six-effect evaporator as part of its continuous improvement and wastewater treatment upgrade. Next year, a pot still distillery will be added to its operation together with a small mill.

He also divulged that one of the companies under the group, Macroasia, will be going into "full blast" next year. 

Tan Jr. recalled the hardwork and dedication of his father Lucio C. Tan, who is the man behind the success of the companies under the LT Group, but stressed the need to “deliver the future of the Group.” 

“Our thrust is to participate and develop clean and renewable energy projects for our sustainability...reduce our carbon footprint to underscore our commitment to help mitigate the effects of climate change. I believe this is incumbent upon us as a responsible corporate entity, where we can invest in technologies that will unravel economic opportunities for the group and our employees. Kapitan (Lucio Tan Sr.) made a strategic move to take one step backward in the hope of moving forward, a strategy that teaches us how to realize our future by our sacrifices of today. Next year, Asian Alcohol will begin its biofuel production. Like Absolut Distillers, it will blaze new paths and return to its old glory. I cannot wait to find out how we will fare against the best of the best. Tanduay will grow its assets to compete and be even more relevant in the liquor industry. Macroasia is going full blast with our thrust to address the future of water…our Chairman (Lucio Tan Sr.) has already been building dams to compliment the farmers with their harvest up north. We are now investing more in this valuable liquid. I believe that the world opens up to those who know where they are going,” he said, adding that, “So, let us, as one company, stay focused, and get this dream going towards our goals.” ~Mr. Lucio K. Tan, Jr., President, and Chief Operating Officer, Tanduay Distillers Inc.

For Tanduay Distillers, according to him, this coming year, the company is expected to sell 20 million cases. Part of the growth plans is Tanduay’s more aggressive operations in pursuing the Luzon market and continued exploration of markets outside the country. 

Understanding the label: A closer look at your child’s milk

“By taking time in reading and understanding the label, it helps you make smart choices in identifying the best milk for your child. All of these nutrients are expressed through the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI) of children, based on the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). So, if the Protein Content in the milk indicates 30 percent, then, your child needs 70 percent more from other food sources to meet his or her daily RENI. In some cases, it’s easy to identify the right formula milk for your child if you take time to read and understand the labels. It might seem complicated at first but, it can help you make good choices for your child’s growth and development.” ~Dr. Francisco, Food Scientist 

As a mother of 2 very active and very playful I make sure they have enough energy and strength in the form of milk for their daily activities and growth.

Aside from a well-balanced, nutritious diet, giving your child a glass of milk has been shown to help support your child’s well-being. Aside from being a source of calcium, a glass of milk can also provide essential and important nutrients for growth and mental development. 

As parents, however, it is important to take a closer look—beyond the promises—at the nutritional values, ingredients, calorie counts, and even the sugar content of your child’s milk to better understand how it factors into his or her nutrition. One way of doing so is by getting accustomed to reading the labels. 

What’s on milk labels? 

Dr. Francisco said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires labels on all prepackaged food, like milk. These labels must provide a complete list of ingredients, as well as its nutrition information in readable type. Usually, these are located at the back or side of the packaging under the “Ingredients” and “Nutrition Facts” headings. 

When reading the Ingredients label, you must take note that the items listed are in descending order of proportion: from most to least. This means that the first ingredient in the list is also the main component of the milk. 

For instance, some formula milk, like PROMIL® Four, have non-fat milk as their first listed ingredient, and this is their first component. Dr. Francisco noted that this component is preferred for children over 3 years old since it eliminated unnecessary fatty acids and kept the other milk components like lactose.

Other milk brands, meanwhile, use other key ingredients like hydrolyzed cornstarch that serves as an agent to retain milk’s sensory properties, and functions as a source of carbohydrates with also its sucrose content. With these ingredients, your child’s milk would look and feel like that of a regular one when consumed and is much sweeter than the recommended. 

How do you read the Nutritional Facts? 

The Nutritional Facts label, on the other hand, appears in a tabulated form that declares the protein, carbohydrates (including dietary fibers and sugars), fats (including saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol), sodium, as well as the caloric content of the milk. Added Vitamin A, Iron, and Iodine, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids are also included in the tabulation.

How do you know the sugar content? 

When it comes to formula milk’s sugar levels, most parents may find it confusing, especially that the Nutritional Facts label only indicates an aggregated sugar content. That is why high sugar levels do not necessarily imply poor quality. 

Among the types of sugar added in formula milk include sucrose, also referred to as table sugar and starches. These are added to replace some or all of the lactose naturally found in milk. Given the case, Dr. Francisco noted that it is still better to check the type of sugar used in your child’s milk. For your child’s proper growth and mental development, PROMIL® Four is predominantly lactose with its non-fat milk as the main ingredient.

What other nutrients should you look out for? 

To ensure that your child gets the essential and important nutrients for proper growth and mental development, it pays off to check if milk’s macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—are at the right level for children over 3 years old. 

Based on FNRI’s Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes, your child’s milk per serving should have Protein within 6-15% of total energy, Fat within 15-30% of total energy, and Carbohydrates within 55-79% of total energy to be within the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR). 

Below recommended range may stunt a child’s growth and drain energy, while above may cause the risk of obesity. To support proper growth and mental development, it is preferred for these nutrients to be within range. For PROMIL FOUR, it gives 15% total energy from its protein content, 30% total energy from fats, and 55% total energy from carbohydrates. 

PROMIL FOUR is also the only formula milk with NUTRISSENTIALS. It contains:

• DHA
• AA
• Lutein
• Iodine
• Iron to help support brain and visual development
• Vitamin A, which supports healthy eye development
• Zinc for normal growth and maintaining a healthy immune system
• Niacin, which aids in metabolism
• Biotin, which enhances energy for physical development
• Potassium, which promotes healthy muscles

For many years, PROMIL FOUR has helped parents nurture the gift through proper care, parenting, and nutrition. 

To learn more about PROMIL Four, visit their website at www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph. 

Milk labels provide the necessary information that would allow you to check and balance the ingredients and other nutritional facts of the milk.