Central Azucarera Don Pedro

Central Azucarera Don Pedro Incorporated was a sugar company based in the Philippines. It was established in 1927[1] and closed in March 2024 after roughly 97 years of operations.

Central Azucarera Don Pedro
Founded1927; 97 years ago (1927) in Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippine Islands
DefunctMarch 29, 2024; 7 months ago (2024-03-29)
Headquarters,
Products
  • Raw sugar
  • refined sugar
ParentRoxas Holdings Inc.

History

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CADP Locomotive

Central Azucarera Don Pedro was established in 1927 during the American colonial era becoming, one of the first sugar milling companies in the Philippines.[2] This was when the business' first sugar mill in Nasugbu, Batangas was built.[3]

The sugar mill business would be incorporated three years later. [2]A bigger sugar mill would be built, still in Nasugbu in 1950.[3]

In the 2000s, CADPI's parent company Roxas Holdings Inc. was selected by the Sugar Regulatory Administration to oversee the government's modernization program of Luzon's sugar industry.[2]

Closure

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CADPI filed for permanent closure on December 15, 2022 starting the process of its disestablishment.[4][5] This decision was met with protests urging the company to compensate workers who lost jobs and the government to intervene to reopen the mill instead of relying on sugar importation.[6][7]

On February 28, 2024, due to huge losses affected by the national government's refined sugar importation in the past years, the company decided to cease business operations which will be effective on March 29, 2024.[8][9]

Ownership

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CADPI would become a subsidiary of the Roxas Holdings Inc. (RHI) at some point of its history. The First Pacific Company Limited of Hong Kong, established by Manny Pangilinan acquired 34 percent stakes of RHI in 2013. By 2015, First Pacific secured majority stakes of RHI.[10]

Products and clients

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CADPI sold raw and refined sugar, molasses, and other products. Among its clienteles were the Philippine chapters of multinational food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestlé, as well as pharmaceutical companies such as Unilab.[10]

Notes

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  1. ^ Office location; sugar mill location is situated in Nasugbu, Batangas

References

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  1. ^ "About Us". Roxas Holdings, Inc. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Dela Peña, Zinnia (November 9, 2002). "Roxas Holdings tapped to oversee Luzon sugar modernization program". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Lumbangan, Nasugbu, Batangas: Historical Data Part I". Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. National Library of the Philippines. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Mallari, Delfin Jr. "2 men allegedly abducted by armed men in Batangas, says rights group". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "Batangas sugar mill closure curbs province's cane processing capacity". BusinessWorld. March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  6. ^ "Sugar workers, planters protest mill shutdown in Batangas". Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Iñares, Antonio. "Over 13,000 lose livelihoods after Nasugbu sugar mill shutdown; Romualdez leads aid distribution". Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  8. ^ Arcalas, Jasper Emmanuel (March 1, 2024). "Batangas sugar refinery stops operations". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Loyola, James (March 2, 2024). "Huge losses force Metro Pacific Group's sugar miller to shut down". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  10. ^ a b De Castro, Isagani Jr. (March 1, 2024). "A 97-year-old Philippine company closes down". Rappler. Retrieved March 3, 2024.