UNIDENTIFIED MEN ATTACKED the picket of Holcim Philippines Inc. workers in front of the company plant in Davao City last May 1. More than 20 men wearing bonnet and yielding knives stormed the picket. They removed the streamers and placards of the Davao Holcim Employees Workers Union.

Pickets were mounted by workers since March 4, after 100 were illegaly dismissed. The workers strongly believe that the Holcim management was behind the attack.

This May, First Stronghold Cement Industries Inc., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), bought Holcim for $2.15 billion. SMC is run and owned by compradors Ramon Ang and Eduardo Cojuangco. SMC is boosting its cement and construction business to benefit from Duterte’s ‘Build Build Build’ program.

Holcim Philippines is formerly a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim Ltd., a Swiss company. In the first quarter of 2019, it had an income of P703.86 million which is greater than the P699.89 million it accumulated in 2018. The company has four cement plants and a cement grinding mill.