Six companies, including members of the Guatemalan Chamber of Industry, were recognized for their CRS programs, in an equal number of categories. These are: Fogel de Centroamérica, Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, Cementos Progreso, Ingenio La Unión, Esso, and Ingenio Pantaléon. They participated by presenting specific cases as part of the contest organized by CENTRARSE (Centro para la Acción de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial) or Center for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Ingenio La Unión – public policy category
Building this case entailed joint work among companies, communities, the central government and the municipalities of Nueva Concepción and Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa to address a problem that during decades had caused significant losses in the area as a result of the Coyolate and Pantaleón rivers overflowing. The project was documented under the name “Flood control as a shared responsibility of the government, municipalities, communities, and private companies”. As it was, although every year these groups invested time and money in different kinds of works to prevent floods, the problem persisted.
La Unión hired international technical experts to carry out a study, whose results were shared with all communities and companies in the area. With this technical assessment, and working together with the rest of the companies, communities, and the government, flood preventing works were implemented. These works, led by La Unión, began in 2006, and consisted in the construction of control curbs along 18 kilometers, breaker walls to reconstruct riversides, and the construction of mounds of soil piled up along the riversides. The works also included walls made up of sacks of sand and cement to fix the river banks. Private investment in these works amounted US$2.8 million, paid mostly by La Unión. A contribution of US$150,000 came from Grupo Santa Rosa, Grupo Tecojate, and Tecnología Agrícola, while the State contributed over US$5 additional million.