By Alexandria Grace C. Magno, Reporter
TWO LISTED food firms have suspended operations at their General Santos (GenSan) City facilities after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the realm on June 8, prompting evacuations, inspections and initial reports of injury to warehouses and inventory.
Alliance Select Foods International, Inc. said employees were evacuated according to emergency protocols, with some personnel requiring medical attention following the quake.
“Presently, the corporate is unable to find out the total financial and operational impact of the incident,” it said in a stock exchange filing on Tuesday. “Further updates might be provided as additional information becomes available.”
The corporate, a tuna processing firm supplying products to greater than 20 countries, said preliminary assessments showed damage to warehouse structures and a few stored inventory in affected sections of the ability. It’s conducting further inspections to find out the extent of structural and operational disruption.
Alliance Select said it seeks to resume operations by June 16, subject to completion of safety checks and any required remediation work.
After the disclosure, the Philippine Stock Exchange imposed a one-hour trading halt on Alliance Select shares.
Century Pacific Food, Inc. also said it had suspended operations at its General Santos facilities while it evaluates damage and awaits clearance from structural inspections and regulators.
“Our first priority is the protection of our employees and the encompassing community,” the corporate said in a disclosure. “We were capable of evacuate our team and have suspended operations to make sure their safety.”
It said it seeks to resume operations inside one to 2 weeks, depending on inspection results and regulatory approval.
Century Pacific said its facilities are covered by insurance, adding that retail partners hold sufficient stock to fulfill near-term demand despite the disruption.
It said it’s supporting relief and response efforts in affected communities, including assistance to residents of Purok Filomena.
It added that it’s working with local authorities and community groups as a part of disaster response measures.
Century Pacific manufactures branded food products including Century Tuna, Argentina, 555, Ligo and Birch Tree, and likewise supplies private label tuna and coconut-based products for export markets.
Each firms said they’re prioritizing worker safety and facility inspections as they work toward restoring normal operations in the approaching days.