Friday, November 18, 2011

Energy corporation highlights corporate social responsibility programs


By: Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY , NOVEMBER 18 (PIA)….. Anchored on a five- pronged community development agenda, the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) through its Community Partnerships Department CPD) has released their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program component in a meeting held here at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan focusing on Health, Education, Livelihood, Small Scale Contract and Environment.

Engr. Liberato S. Virata, plant manager in his signed report provided their company's commitment to provide social prosperity and environmental stewardship through the implementation of a comprehensive, responsive and sustained program under their CSR program in partnership with their stakeholders and in keeping with the company’s objectives.

Senior Supervisor of the EDC-CPD, Eduardo Jimenez explained that under the CSR-CPD, 43 primary partner barangays with 17,680 households, 121 community associations, 71 schools and 47 health center in their host barangay-communities are beneficiaries of their CSR programs.

Under their Health Services Program, 47 health centers were continuously supported with trainings like drug abuse prevention with the enhancement of knowledge and capabilities of 65 health workers, medicine supply assistance, 36 medical and dental outreach conducted, improvement of several Barangay Health Centers..

Their health promotion support included trainings also of households on responsible parenthood,proper nutrition and health and sanitation practices while improving community access to basic medical facilities and services.

Total intervention under this program amounted to P5.7 M with 8,972 beneficiaries.

Jimenez cited that their environment programs focused on information education campaigns on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, promoting the BINHI program that diversify the planting of trees in four categories.

Their environmental protection enhancement is zeroed in on their continuous planting and reforestation of  the 250,000 ha reservation area as their legacy of greening and their commitment to promote geothermal projects sites as eco-tourism destinations by maintaining their butterfly garden, bat sanctuary, wildlife park, twin falls and boiling pond sites.

Under their Livehihood Program, 44 livelihood projects are maintained under the Social Development Project (SDP) assisting farmers in rice production, vegetable gardening, fertilizer assistance, mud crab production, aquasilvi farming, and lambaklad project benefiting both land and sea based beneficiaries within the host communities

Jimenez said that their CSR beneficiaries under the livelihood component totaled to 7,528 with 122 organized farmers association.

Education has been one of their CSR pilot programs were host barangays' pupils and students were provided yearly school supplies including bags, miscellaneous fees payment assistance, and scholarships where 25 students in the secondary schools every year are chosen and sponsored with provisions of tuition fee, book allowance and monthly stipend.

A total of 26,330 individuals benefited from the regular education projects with a total amount of P 11.4 M intervention.

Meanwhile their Small Scale Contracts amounted to P43.2 M and this was awarded to cooperatives in the local communities for labor contracting.

Jimenez underscored that the total amount of intervention provided by the company in their CSR program  amounted to P 99.5 M from 2005-2009 that benefited 41,244 individuals and group beneficiaries.. (PIA-SORSOGON)

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