MANILA, Philippines - AboitizPower, through its wholly owned subsidiary AboitizPower Renewables Inc. (APRI), recently turned over 50 computer sets to help provide quality computer education to students, teachers and adjacent communities in the vicinity of its geothermal power plant in Tiwi, Albay.
The turnover was held in a formal ceremony at the Tiwi Mini Mall.
This initiative represents AboitizPower’s continuing commitment to the welfare of the communities where it does business, through its strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.
“Education is a top priority in AboitizPower’s CSR program. We are committed to helping families and communities near our power generation sites reap the long-term benefits that education can provide,” says APRI corporate services SVP Juan Alfonso.
“AboitizPower believes in creating opportunities for sustainable education and we at APRI and other subsidiaries are happy to do our part,” Alfonso adds.
Students at 23 elementary schools, the Naga National High School, Joroan High School and Tiwi Community College are also beneficiaries of the computer donation.
“When we help elementary and high school children get quality education, there is a ripple effect of advantages that extends to their adult life, their family and the community — the opportunities that we open for these children are the foundation for a better future for everyone concerned,” Alfonso says.
Alfonso explains that the hands-on use of computers is the best way for students, teachers and the people of Tiwi to learn basic software and programs.
“These computer sets will equip them with computer skills that will allow them to get better opportunities for education and for jobs,” he adds.
The donation of the computer sets is also the best follow-up to the computer training seminar conducted for school heads and teachers at the Informatics Computer Center in Tabaco City last June 1-2. This seminar was also an initiative of APRI.
With the computers, the school heads and teachers who attended the seminar can now enhance and build on what they learned from the seminar.
Besides students and teachers, interested members of the community also have the chance for hands-on learning using some of the donated computers at the Tiwi Community E-Center.
For almost two years since AboitizPower has operated facilities in Tiwi and Makiling-Banahaw, Laguna, its CSR program remains the best conduit for its efforts to contribute to the surrounding communities’ sustainable development.
“AboitizPower considers itself part of the communities where it operates its business. Therefore, it shares a deep concern for the welfare of its workers, the people and the community’s future. To succeed in power generation and distribution, AboitizPower knows it must go beyond these activities the business must thrive along with the rest of the communities or else it will not thrive at all,” Alfonso says.
Tiwi Mayor Jaime Villanueva is grateful for the assistance extended by APRI. “This will be of great help to our schools and ICT facilities which are all aimed at providing ICT skills to our teachers, students and our people,” he says.
Villanueva attended the ceremony along with municipal councilor Jose Benette Templado. APRI officials who were at the event included facility manager Wilfredo Sarmago, operations and maintenance manager Alberto Badillo, CSR manager Jose Gerald Cubias, CSR officer Remy Bron, and administrative officer Hector Rodriguez.
AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, retail and power services.
It is a major producer of Cleanergy, its brand for clean and renewable energy in the Philippines, with several hydroelectric and geothermal assets in its generation portfolio. It also has non-renewable power plants located across the country.
The company owns distribution utilities in high-growth areas throughout the archipelago.