Lopez-led renewable energy leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is taking the next step for its scholars’ regenerative future by commencing its career internship program abroad in partnership with the Counselors for Immigration and International Studies (CIS).
SIKAT is EDC’s flagship education program that supports underprivileged but deserving students in the company’s host communities through financial assistance and mentoring.
CIS, the country’s leading trusted group of educational consultants, partners with host schools and educational sponsors in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and New Zealand to make the path towards a brighter future for the students. Its commitment to providing more learning opportunities and career choices to students is encapsulated in its tagline, “our passion is your education.”
Renato Bueno, CIS President and CEO, said it has been his long-time goal to help Filipino students as a strong commitment to his belief that the next generation is the hope of the country. He said the main goal of CIS is to give Filipinos opportunities to a better life, and one of the keys to this better life is through education and employment opportunities. Under the agreement, CIS will sponsor a qualified SIKAT scholar graduate for the pilot internship program abroad and will support the scholar’s cost of living.
“For SIKAT scholars and graduates, this MOA with EDC is an opportunity on your part to change your life, [as well as] the lives of the people that you will meet every day,” said Bueno during the signing of a memorandum of agreement held virtually on Zoom.
EDC Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations Head, Assistant Vice President Atty. Allan Barcena, expressed his gratitude to CIS for supporting the company’s commitment to investing in quality education. “We are thankful for this opportunity given by CIS to our SIKAT scholars, and we are likewise thankful that we can partner with like-minded institutions that also believe in education and its importance in achieving a regenerative and decarbonized future,” he said.
EDC, for its part, will be responsible for screening the applications of its SIKAT scholar graduates and for the submission of the qualified candidate’s documents to CIS for processing. EDC will also be providing financial provisions for the pre-departure expenses of the candidate.
Since its commencement in 2011, the scholarship program has so far admitted 202 scholars and produced 89 graduates. The program also supports K to 12 students from over 100 schools in its partner and host communities nationwide, providing school supplies, tutorial assistance and early education support annually.
EDC generates over 40% of the Philippines’ renewable energy output and serves about 10% of the country’s overall electricity demand with its installed capacity of 1,476MW. The company’s almost 1,200-megawatt total installed geothermal capacity accounts for 62% of the country’s generated renewable energy and is responsible for putting EDC and the Philippines on the map as the world’s third largest geothermal producer.
