As the world celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work today, April 28, First Balfour proudly marks a significant milestone, winning multiple awards for the third consecutive year at the 16th National Construction Safety Conference of the Safety Organization of the Philippines, Inc. (SOPI) held last April 24–25, 2025, at the Occupational Safety and Health Center, Ichikawa Hall in Quezon City.
L-R: Engr. Rogelio Fornal (SOPI Board of Trustee); Engr. Frumencio T. Tan (SOPI Board Treasurer); First Balfour Environment, Safety, and Health (ESH) team Paul Montero, Paquito Kong Jr. Kate Amilbahar, Rian L. Con-ui, Edgardo Galang, Ralph Lee, Vince Peralta, Emil Estrabo; Engr. Ricardo V. Salanda Jr. (SOPI Board Vice Chairman); Engr. Michael D. Arguelles (SOPI Board of Trustee)
The SOPI Construction Safety Awards recognize institutions that demonstrate exceptional safety performance in their projects and workplaces. Demonstrating excellence in maintaining safe construction workplaces, First Balfour received 2 Awards of Honor for projects recording 5 million safe work hours, 4 Awards of Merit for projects that achieved over 2 million safe work hours, and 12 Perfect Safety Record Awards.
Award of Honor (5 Million Safe Manhours)
- Leyte Geothermal Power Plant Projects
- Palayan Binary Power Plant Project
Award of Merit (2 Million Safe Manhours)
- Tanawon Geothermal Power Plant Project
- Batangas Combined Cycle Power Plant Project
- First Balfour Corporate Office
- Hyperscale Data Center Project
Meanwhile, winning a Perfect Safety Record Award requires maintaining a full year of operations without any lost time incidents (LTI), a standard that 12 of First Balfour’s projects successfully achieved this year.
Perfect Safety Record Awards (One year without LTI)
- Leyte Geothermal Power Plant Complex and Battery Energy Storage System Projects (five projects)
- Bac-Man Geothermal Power Plant Complex (four projects)
- Mt. Apo and Amacan Geothermal Projects (two projects)
- Burgos Transmission Line Project (one project)
In addition to the project awards, three of First Balfour’s safety professionals were also individually recognized for their outstanding contributions to occupational safety and health. Paul Montero and Paquito Kong, Jr. were awarded Outstanding Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner Award and Vince Peralta was awarded with the Outstanding Occupational Safety and Health Consultant Award, solidifying First Balfour’s position as a leader in the construction safety field.
First Balfour has the second most number of safety awards received during the conference. Head of Environment, Safety, and Health Joselito L. Vicente shares, “Today, as we celebrate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we are reminded of the critical importance of safety in our daily lives. To achieve 21 awards this year—just from having 10 in 2024 and 5 in 2023—is both a remarkable achievement and a testament to the dedication of every person in First Balfour.” He adds, “This achievement proves that our flywheel strategy is gaining momentum, driving us toward even higher standards as we align with the measures in our balanced scorecard.” He further emphasized that this win belongs to every one in the entire organization who make safety not just a priority, but a core value.
The company’s consistent achievements in the SOPI awards over the years highlight its steadfast adherence to world-class safety practices, reinforced by its ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certifications.
