Thousands of households in Negros Island have received relief assistance from power firm Energy Development Corporation (EDC) which operates the 222.5-megawatt geothermal power plants in the municipality of Valencia, Negros Oriental

The Lopez-led geothermal energy leader has so far extended its “pampamilyang malasakit (family compassion” relief operations to 2,700 households in its partner communities in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, a media release on Monday said.

The relief assistance included 260 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice that EDC provided to its host communities in Valencia, Negros Oriental; Bago City, Murcia, and Isabela in Negros Occidental in partnership with Dagiaw Experimental Theatre.

“We are doing our best to help ease the burden of our partner communities that were left homeless and hungry due to Typhoon Odette,” EDC CSR (corporate social responsibility) Team in Negros Island head Norreen Bautista said.

Before sending out bags of rice, EDC immediately mobilized and distributed 700 sets of relief packs composed of drinking water, canned goods, noodles, milk, coffee, used clothes, blankets, towels, mats, and clothes.

The supplies were prepared by fully vaccinated EDC employee-volunteers and college scholars for the residents of Bais and Manjuyod, Negros Oriental.

“It is heartwarming to see the exceptional Bayanihan (cooperative undertaking) spirit of our employees and scholars. Our Negros employees also voluntarily canceled our virtual Christmas party last December to divert the funds for the event amounting to PHP20,000 to augment our relief operations,” Bautista said.

The EDC also provided aid to other “Odette”-stricken areas in the Visayas region, particularly Bohol, Cebu, and Leyte, and helped its customers Negros Oriental 1 Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Negros Oriental 2 Electric Cooperative, Inc. restore power in their respective areas.

The Energy Development Corporation is First Gen’s 100-percent renewable energy (RE) arm, with over 1,480 MWs total installed capacity. It accounts for 20 percent of the country’s overall installed RE capacity.

EDC’s almost 1,200 MWs geothermal portfolio comprises 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity and has put the Philippines on the map as the third largest geothermal producer in the world. (PNA)