First Gen-owned Energy Development Corporation (EDC), the country’s leading geothermal producer, donated thousands of food packs and drinking water to Mayon-affected families in evacuation centers in Albay.
A total of 2,500 pieces of 20-liter drinking water with refills and food packs, containing rice, canned goods, coffee, powdered milk, instant noodles, soap, and detergent were turned over to Camalig Mayor Caloy Baldo and Albay Provincial Governor Edcel Greco Lagman by the EDC Bacon-Manito (Bacman) team. More than 600 packs of diapers were also distributed for the affected children.
Mayor Baldo and Governor Lagman expressed their gratitude for the food assistance extended by EDC.
EDC employees volunteered and personally distributed the food packs and gallons of water to evacuees in Anoling Elementary School and Bariw Elementary School.
Eduardo Jimenez, EDC Bacman Corporate Relations Department (CRD) Head, led the turnover of donations and highlighted employee volunteerism in the organization during the relief operations. “It is very important that affected families and those in the evacuation centers have access to clean drinking water, and sufficient food supply. Our employees have gathered together and volunteered to visit the evacuation centers to distribute the goods and talk to them,” Jimenez said.
He added that aside from the basic needs, evacuees also need emotional support to ease their anxieties with the situation.
“Your EDC Kapamilya is always ready to support and assist our government units, as well as provide relief goods to augment the assistance from the government, private groups, and other organizations,” he added.
EDC’s partnership with the Camalig LGU and Albay Province was intensified and strengthened during the tragic Cessna incident search and retrieval operations early this year. It was Alert Level 2 then, but for humanitarian reasons, the Albay Province permitted EDC to continue with the search and retrieval operations. The Camalig Mayor, as the Incident Commander together with the Albay Provincial Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) also showed undeniable support and directly worked with the team during those challenging times.
“This donation of relief goods, at the very least, is also EDC’s way of giving back to our stakeholders, our way of thanking them, and showing them that in times of need and distress, EDC can also be relied on,” Jimenez asserted.
EDC Bacman employee volunteers hand over the food packs to some of the evacuees at Bariw Elementary School.
EDC is First Gen Corporation’s 100 percent renewable energy subsidiary with over 1,480MW total installed capacity that accounts for 20 percent of the country’s total installed renewable energy capacity. Its almost 1,200MW geothermal portfolio comprises 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity and has put the Philippines on the map as the 3rd largest geothermal producer in the world.
