'Better is a neighbor nearby' for sustainable development

No more latex loss thanks to "better is a neighbor nearby"

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Sharing about the effectiveness of the company's work of community connection, Mr. Truong Van Hoi, Deputy General Director of Phu Rieng Rubber Co., Ltd., said that currently, the company’s whole system almost no longer involves the phenomenon of stealing latex, a constant worry for rubber companies, or the situation of people throwing waste into rubber gardens. The results of Phu Rieng Rubber Company are considered a good sign and were obtained thanks to the company's good implementation of community consultation and connection over the past few years.

Phu Rieng Rubber Company is one of the units assigned by the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) for pilot implementation of community consultation and connection, which is "better is a neighbor nearby," as the old saying goes, according to the process in the "Handbook for Community Consultation and Engagement in Sustainable Rubber Forest Management" issued by the Group in December 2020.

Over the years, Phu Rieng Rubber Company has periodically held community consultation sessions with the participation of local authorities and influential people in the community. At the consultation sessions, the company listens and makes records to note the opinions and aspirations of the locality and people. With wishes and aspirations that the company can meet, the organization will immediately solve them. And for those wishes and aspirations that are beyond the company's ability, the company will also explain them to the local authorities and people so they can understand and sympathize. Since then, the company's connection with the locality has become closer and closer.

Besides, Phu Rieng Rubber Company continues to well implement social security activities, which have been regularly performed by the company for many years. One of the outstanding activities is to support medical examination, treatment, and health care for the community.

Phu Rieng Rubber Company is one of VRG's dependent units that includes a general hospital in the organizational structure. Doctor Nguyen Thanh Hue, Deputy Director in Charge of Phu Rieng Rubber General Hospital, said that because Phu Rieng district does not have a general hospital, Phu Rieng Rubber Company's hospital, apart from medical examination and treatment for staff, is in charge of medical examination and treatment for people in the area.

Specifically, the hospital has established a team of young doctors who volunteer to participate in medical examination programs combined with drug distribution and gift giving to ethnic minorities and the poor in remote areas.

Community Connection in Cambodia

Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber JSC is located in an area with a complicated political and security situation in the three provinces of Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, and Preah Vihear (Cambodia). Living and traveling conditions in this area are very difficult, and some political parties take advantage of ethnic and religious issues to propagate and incite a part of the Cambodian people to cause trouble and sabotage, affecting the company’s production.

Faced with that situation, right from the beginning of implementing the rubber plantation project in this area, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber Company has identified the relationship with the local government and people as its top concern.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Linh, General Director of Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber Company, said that "our opinion is that where people agree, we will implement; where people do not agree, we will stop. The places where the project can be implemented should gain good results so that the local people see the efficiency and will voluntarily allocate land for the company to implement the project." Thanks to that, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Company has successfully implemented a rubber plantation project in Cambodia with a total area of more than 16,000 ha.

Right from the beginning of investment in Cambodia, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber Company immediately made community connections, and this work has been maintained by the company continuously until now.

Besides, the company has performed very well in social security activities. Together with local authorities, the company has created favorable conditions for Cambodian workers to have stable jobs, gradually changing the socio-economic face of the area and surrounding areas and creating trust in the people and local authorities about the goals that the company's rubber plantation project brings.

From 2010 to 2022, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber Company supported the local governments of the three provinces of Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, and Preah Vihear with over USD 1.5 million. Thanks to the good relationship between the company and the local government, the difficulties are gradually improving. It can be said that the company's rubber plantation project has really created trust in the government and people about socio-economic development and life stabilization. The project contributed to reducing the people’s shifting cultivation of wandering hilltribes and has thus been highly appreciated by local authorities.

Chu Se-Kampong Thom Company paid special attention to taking care of the lives of Cambodian workers. By 2022, the company had built 1,225 houses for workers with full minimum living needs such as electricity and water, with a total value of USD 6.6 million. The company has implemented the construction of concentrated residential areas in the direction of duplex houses with long-term stays for workers to stabilize production. The houses were constructed according to the size and model prescribed by the group.

Therefore, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Rubber Company is one of the three units assigned by VRG for the pilot implementation of community consultation and connection in Cambodia from 2021 until now. From the initial successes of these companies, VRG is promoting the replication of community consultation and connection in the country.

Ms. Asisah Man, Coordinator of Oxfarm Cambodia (Oxfarm is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working with VRG in promoting the Group's sustainable development program and responsible investment), said all three companies with pilot implementation of community connection in Cambodia have established a Steering Committee for Sustainable Development and Community Connection to develop, discuss, and include contents and give them in the annual investment plan.

In the past, Chu Se-Kampong Thom Company has implemented maternity allowance, created better working conditions for women, and arranged rubber tapping areas that are easily accessible and closer to the village for female workers. Krong Buk-Ratanakiri Company has contributed co-financing with NGOs to implement the natural forest project to benefit indigenous communities and biodiversity in the area. At Dong Nai-Kratie Company, a reporting mechanism is set up so that employees and the local community can ask questions of company leaders.