I’ve been with EDC for just over a year and a half, with more than three-quarters of that period being in a work from home setup, but somehow, I feel that I’ve learned and accomplished the equivalent of the previous four years of my career. This isn’t a humble brag about my work ethic nor is it a subtle put-down of my old employers, but a recognition of the opportunities for learning, growth, and development that EDC has provided me within a relatively short period of time.
Taking on a corporate communications role meant that I had to be a quick study on EDC’s business and operations, and its workforce. My first day was particularly memorable, as I was immediately exposed to how seriously the company took safety when during my HR orientation in the head office, the power shut down and employees wearing safety gear filed down the stairs of a 38-story building for the earthquake safety drill. Later that day, as I attended my first Christmas party at EDC, I witnessed what would be the first of the many, many inspiring speeches that our President and COO, Sir Ricky, would give to the company. Despite the fact that I was actively trying to remain detached and skeptical of what I thought was just another company’s highlight reel, I realize now that it was my first glimpse into how EDC was different from all the rest.
In the succeeding weeks, as I began to understand how EDC’s recipe of renewable energy production, environmental advocacy, and stakeholder management worked so well, it also became increasingly apparent that the company also owed its success to its secret sauce — its highly engaged and committed workforce. I witnessed colleagues going above and beyond what was required, not because they were paid extra but because they truly believed in the company’s common purpose of ‘elevating everything we touch’. It’s an effective combination, the personal drive to become better and the commitment to work for the common good. It’s also highly contagious, and this kind of collaborative mindset that spreads so easily is what makes me optimistic about EDC’s goal of becoming regenerative.
By this time, I have also gained a deeper appreciation of how seriously EDC takes its commitment to creating a better world. As a communications professional, I am beyond grateful to belong to a company where I don’t have to furnish half-truths just to sell a brand and make a living. My role as one of the EDC’s communicators merely makes me an amplifier of a mission and vision that is already being carried out by its leaders and employees. Pomp and braggadocio have no place in our communication strategies, our ultimate goal is to spark meaningful conversations with our stakeholders, to inspire them to heed the call for a regenerative future. Whatever accumulated goodwill and respect we gain will be used to influence fellow corporations, industry leaders, and the general public to join our fight against climate change, coal, and environmental destruction.
I try to picture a fully regenerative EDC years from now and I think of a company that empowers not only its employees but also its stakeholders, by cultivating an environment where growth begets growth. If EDC managed to convert a disengaged, corporate cynic like me within two months, then perhaps there’s a lot more truth in Powering Infinite Possibilities than you’d expect.
The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is a pioneer in generating 100% clean, renewable, and reliable power as an electricity supplier in the Philippines for over 40 years. With power plants all over Visayas and Mindanao, the company is one of the biggest producers of geothermal energy in Asia and is expanding its reach in the international market, allowing it to offer customers affordable energy rates. EDC also strives to provide the best customer service it can to all its clients by having helpful salespeople and easy to understand contracts. Because of all of this, it is poised to become the premier supplier of electricity for the Philippines’ Green Energy Option Program. EDC takes its mission as a renewable energy provider seriously and goes beyond sustainability by investing in programs that enhance the environment and empower its partner communities, thereby fostering regenerative development. The company has also been working toward being carbon-neutral by improving its energy efficiency, as well as implementing various greening projects to ensure that its mission to provide future generations with a better life remains intact.