Lopez-led geothermal leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) extended further its assistance to its host-communities’ local government units (LGUs) by lending a total of 11 container vans during this fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

EDC Corporate Social Responsibility–Public Relations Head Atty. Allan V. Barcena said the company, since the start of the nationwide lockdown in March, has been extending its help not only to its employees and stakeholders but also to the national government through the LGUs, especially the hosts of its energy facilities.

“Due to the rising number of COVID-19-related cases, health care facilities, especially hospitals, are becoming crowded in no time. We, at EDC, have decided to lend our container vans to some of the municipalities and cities across the country to provide an extra space either for their patients or for the medical front liners,” Barcena said.

Eleven container vans were lent to Ormoc City in Leyte; municipality of Valencia in Negros Oriental; municipality of Burgos in Ilocos Norte; Kidapawan City and Cotobato Province.

In Negros Oriental, EDC’s 20-foot air-conditioned container van is now being used by the Department of Health as an extension of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital’s (NOPH) swab facility for suspected COVID-19 cases.

“On behalf of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, we would like to give our deepest appreciation and thanks to EDC, for their sincere commitment to serve the province through their container van which was delivered and is currently being used for the COVID-19 ward. The Department of Health also utilized this van for packing of specimens for testing in Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Hospital in Cebu City. Through our concerted efforts, we can fight and beat this pandemic together,” said Dr. Marc Angelo C. Llosa, Provincial Health Officer II and Head of NOPH.

EDC’s 40-foot container vans in Ormoc City, on the other hand, are being utilized by medical front liners as their quarantine facility before they could go off-duty after a 14-day duty in Kananga Hospital and Ormoc Hospital. Each of the containers—two for each hospital—can accommodate up to seven front liners with strict observance of physical distancing.

Ormoc City Health Nurse Jester Zacarias thanked the company for the container vans to be used by the medical front liners: “On behalf of the City Government of Ormoc, thank you EDC for lending us container vans for housing. It will be used as observation and quarantine rooms. This is a big help because prior to the lending of the van, our nurses are accommodated in one room only, and masikip talaga, but this time, they have now a very comfortable and spacious room as a quarantine room.”

In Mindanao, which houses EDC’s Mount Apo Geothermal Facility, three 20-foot container vans with vinyl tiles, foam insulation, lights, electrical outlets, and with provision for airconditioning units were lent to Kidapawan City Hospital and Amas Provincial Hospital. One container van in Kidapawan City is intended to be used as a quarantine facility for medical workers while the two others in North Cotabato will be used as an isolation area for probable and suspected COVID-19 patients.

Likewise, in Burgos, Ilocos Sur, three remodeled vans will be used by the Rural Health Unit of Burgos municipality as an isolation facility for probable and suspected COVID-19 cases.

In the Bicol region, six other container vans are expected to be deployed in the next few days also as isolation and monitoring facilities for possible COVID-19 cases.

Aside from its efforts to provide facilities and equipment to its host communities, EDC has also been extending its assistance through different relief operations and fundraising campaigns.

“This has been an unusual time for us. Yes, we have been tested by different calamities before and this COVID-19 pandemic is just another battle we need to fight and survive. EDC, together with other Lopez Group of companies, will continue to help and provide our assistance to the most vulnerable in this time of crisis,” Barcena said.

EDC’s 1,475MW total installed capacity generates 37 percent of the country’s total renewable energy, with its 1,181MW geothermal portfolio accounting for 61 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity and putting the Philippines on the map as the world’s 3rd largest geothermal producer.