48 students finish Energy Summer Camp

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines - — A total of 48 incoming fourth year high school students from the host communities of geothermal giant Energy Development Corporation  completed a week-long Energy Summer Camp at the Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field  in Valencia, Negros Oriental.

The participants, comprising 20 EDC scholars and 28 children of EDC employees from Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, completed Monday the amazing race, highlighting the final activity of the summer camp, which ended in the evening of the same day with a graduation exercise.

The summer campers were from the host communities of the EDC’s geothermal plants on Negros Island, said EDC’s Pacita Nuique, camp commander for this year’s Energy Summer Camp.

Nuique said the week-long summer camp was a recreational activity where teenagers enjoy outdoor activities, such as rappelling, V traverse and other rope techniques, swimming and other sporting events, survival skills and livelihood training as well as exposure to environmental protection and conservation, among many others.

This year’s summer camp also featured archery, the latest activity to be included, and training on disaster preparedness in the presence of the noted Mt. Everest climber, Dr. Ted Esguerra.

Esguerra, who joined just this past year as EDC’s Disaster and Crisis Management Lead, was present during the activity to share his personal experiences as a medical doctor as well as a professional emergency management technician, among many other things.

Now on its 11th year, the Energy Summer Camp is a brainchild of former EDC president and chief executive officer Paul A. Aquino, to provide the participants a venue for fun and enjoyment as well as a learning experience.

This is the 10th summer camp in Negros Oriental, however, because EDC had scrapped the activity following the onslaught of the storm, Sendong, which brought about vast damage to Negros Oriental in late 2011.

One requirement for the students is for them to have high grades and be on top of the class as an incentive for them to get enrolled in the summer camp.

The e-camp is designed to provide a productive, educational and enjoyable activity for the youth living in the company’s host communities, who usually do not have access to such.

Where most summer camps focus on sports and physical development, the e-Camp combines classroom and outdoor activities, addressing the need to develop a person’s whole being, both mind and body. — (FREEMAN)