Unilever in the Philippines A Truly Multi-Local Multinational - Adding Vitality to life Known until a few years ago as Philippine Refining Company (PRC), Unilever in the Philippines started as an oil milling business which at its peak produced nearly 100,000 tons of coconut oil annually. Today the company is a leading manufacturer of home and personal care products, foods, and ice cream. With an annual sales of over Php 22 billion, Unilever in the Philippines employs over 2,000 people nationally. The company has been a leader in introducing new technologies into the country since the early days of its existence - margarine production in the 1930’s, non-soap detergents, shampoos and toothpaste in the 1960’s and 1970’s and state of the art sulphonation technology and cogeneration power plant in the 1980’s. The nineties has seen the company focusing on several improvements in the Environment front one of which was the introduction of the first 100% biodegradable detergent bar in the Philippines. Unilever works closely with the community and other NGO’s to protect and improve the environment. In year 2000, the company received recognition for its environment management systems with an ISO 14001 accreditation. The company has adopted the Total Quality approach during the last ten years and was the first in the industry to receive the ISO 9002 accreditation in 1994. Unilever has since worked with the government, customers and suppliers (including SME’s) to spread the Total Quality approach in the Philippines. Unilever in the Philippines is a leading company in the area of Human Resources Management and Development. The company has excellent relations with its employees as evidenced by the last two CBA agreements. At the heart of the employee relationship is a Skills Development (multi-skilling) Programme that enhances worker productivity. These efforts have been given due recognition by the Personnel Management Association of the Philippines when they awarded Unilever as 1999 “Outstanding Employer of the Year”. Unilever has for decades been known in the industry as a sound training ground for young Filipino graduates. Some of its managers have progressed to senior levels in government and public life. The business has grown from strength to strength with the presence of its four operating companies: Unilever Foods, Unilver Foodsolutions, Unilever Philippines, and Unilever RFM Ice Cream. Unilever is proud of its 77 years of heritage in the Philippines and is dedicated to growing its operations in the country in the future.