EDC Bacman strengthens partnerships with host barangays

EDC-IEC held in Sto. Nino, Bacon

SORSOGON CITY, MAY 27 (PIA) – With the continuing efforts to enhance relationship with its host communities through meaningful programs, Energy Development Corporation (EDC) Bacman has made considerable strides in uplifting the lives of residents in its partner barangays. One of this is the Barangay Sto. Niño in Bacon District, Sorsogon City.

During the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign held at Sto.  Niño Barangay Chapel on May 24, 2013, EDC Bacman representatives discussed the company’s health, education, livelihood and environmental initiatives within the community.

Some 118 residents attended and actively participated in the said IEC.

“We started holding IECs for our host communities last year, and after campaigns with six barangays and one sitio, we saw that there was room for improvement, particularly with what we were sharing with our partners. We were missing some topics that they were interested in, and were not addressing some issues that increased the likelihood of speculation and misunderstanding among them,” EDC Bacman CPD Sr. Supervisor Ed Jimenez said.

Having a new IEC format, the EDC Bacman campaign now goes beyond providing a standard accomplishment report for its community. Starting with Brgy. Sto. Niño, all IEC campaigns of EDC Bacman will now be tailored to the leading issues and concerns of each community, designed to encourage active dialogue with the residents.

Jimenez said that with its sustained CSR programs and the enhanced IEC, EDC Bacman continues to give its host community residents the means and the knowledge to empower them to improve their lives.

To enhance the residents’ understanding of EDC’s operations, Ms. Adelaida Lagante and Ms. Jing Maceda, the Pollution Control Officers of Bacman Geothermal, Inc., discussed the geothermal operations and its impact in the community.

Also, apart from reporting the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, EDC’s IEC team has created a more responsive, thorough and relevant program that is designed to develop host community residents into well-informed and involved partners.

On the environmental front, EDC Bacman has encouraged waste segregation through an educational campaign and the donation of trash cans to schools, health centers and the barangay offices. Sto. Niño Elementary and High Schools are also the company’s partners in the “BINHI Tree for the Future” program, a greening program conceptualized by Oscar M. Lopez, chairman of the Lopez Group Inc. Binhi’s whole idea is reforestation focusing on the prime endangered Philippine tree species, bringing back the vanishing trees that are highly valued and those that are native to the Philippines.

Brgy. Captain Antonio D. Diolata in his message affirmed that the positive impact of EDC Bacman in the lives of their constituents has already been felt. He likewise thanked the efforts made by the EDC in considering their needs and in continuously giving priority assistance to Brgy. Sto. Niño.

Meanwhile, it can be recalled that in 2012, EDC Bacman has provided 60 high school scholarships, subsidized miscellaneous fees and provided school bags and supplies for 442 primary school students of Brgy. Sto. Niño.

Under the healthcare program, EDC Bacman served 535 patients during its last medical mission in the said place. EDC Bacman also provided medicines and medical supplies to the Barangay Health Center and assisted the health center’s physical improvement by providing assorted construction materials.

Brgy. Sto Nino has at least 292 residents who are members of the Federation of Bacman Host Communities (FEDBAHC) who enjoy various priority livelihood engagements with EDC Bacman. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon/MTejada, EDC)