EDC has stood the test of time, and for 45 years, we
have been growing, progressing, and succeeding
in our mission to build a regenerative tomorrow.
Providing clean energy for the Filipinos has been
our drive to invest in different indigenous power
sources With leaders committed to being stewards of the
environment, we started our BINHI program early
on, and it is now the most prominent private sectorled greening initiative in the country. Rooted in the
Filipino values of kinship and family, we cared for
our people as they are our own - prioritizing their
best interests. Understanding our impacts, we
extended our care to our host communities and the
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) communities in our areas of
operations. Without their support and help in caring
for our natural resources, it will not be possible for us
to deliver to our customers. And lastly, our investors,
whose trust and support enabled and empowered
EDC to perform all of its functions through the years.
A fitting milestone to mark EDC’s 45th anniversary,
the Company raised PHP 5 billion from
oversubscribed ASEAN Green Bonds. The first
tranche was issued out of the PHP 15 billion shelf
registration. With these Green bonds, the public
can support and finance renewable energy projects
spearheaded by EDC.
In bringing forward the regenerative agenda
through education, EDC held a Virtual Race
Philippines event - the “Race for a Regenerative
Future,” where participants complete a target
distance within a given virtual race period. The
event had 420 racers nationwide and raised PHP
338,015 in donations, split evenly between two
EDC-supported foundations -- Keitech Educational
Foundation and Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc.
Through our BINHI program, we also raised
PHP 25.7 million for environment and watershed
initiatives. For 2021, BINHI focused on protecting
forests and watersheds, reforestation of degraded
watersheds, rescuing and mainstreaming the most
threatened Philippine native tree species, and
conserving biodiversity in EDC-managed forests.
With an understanding that we cannot do this alone,
we partnered with like-minded individuals and
organizations. Even with the ongoing pandemic,
we increased our network of partners in our BINHI
program - expanding our community dedicated to
building a decarbonized and regenerative future.
In Forest Protection, we upheld our role as deputized
manager of watersheds in geothermal reservations
and partnered with the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) in conducting foot
and drone patrols. In Leyte, we also established
local protection groups for six barangays in Ormoc
City, as well as a Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection
Council (MFPC) in partnership with the DENR, the
local government, the Philippine National Police
(PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP), environmental nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and the media.
EDC also successfully organized the Kanlaon Green
Brigade (KGB) in Negros Occidental, and Task
Force Bantay Kabtangan (TFBK) in Negros Oriental.
In our Biodiversity Conservation and Flagship
Species Initiatives (FSI), we worked with the resident
experts and wildlife biologists and foresters from
the University of the Philippines (UP)- Institute of
Biology, Siliman University in Negros Oriental, and
the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation,
Inc. (PBCFI) in Negros Occidental. BCMP reported
a total of 514 unique species in EDC-managed
project sites, with more than half of the species
being endemic or found only in these local areas.
As part of our FSI, we introduced two of our flagship
species to the Kidapawan City Tourism Council,
which led to the adoption of the Apo Myna and
Almaciga as Kidapawan City’s flagship species.
BINHI was also part of the 29th Philippines
Biodiversity Symposium organized by the
Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines.
EDC presented its FSI program to hundreds of
wildlife researchers, scientists, and conservationists
at the event. We also partnered with DENR Region
5, the local government of Albay, and the Albay
Parks and Wildlife to create an arboretum in the
community. In Palawan, we forged a partnership
with the Philippine Parks and the Palawan Council
for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to conserve
rare and threatened tree species
Europe-based Botanic Gardens Conservation
International (BGCI) also extended its partnership
grant with EDC for two more years to assess and
conserve additional 200 Philippine endemic tree
species and 470 near-endemic species. Signifying
our commitment to being a zero-waste company,
we partnered with The Plastic Flamingo (The Plaf),
a French social enterprise, for its plastic-to-shelter
project.
For our Forest Carbon Project, we have partnered
with the DENR Forest Management Bureau (FMB)
to work on our Carbon Accounting, Verification, and
Certification System (CAVCS) to acquire verified
carbon certificates
The expanse of the task at hand may be daunting,
but we take comfort in knowing we have allies in this
radical and much-needed change of ways. Further,
we take pride in harnessing our heritage and
expertise in leading the nation on a greener path
toward a decarbonized and regenerative future.
