Imagine the possibilities of limitless power.
The kind that harnesses clean, natural energy as it replenishes and maintains our natural resources.
That’s geothermal energy, an abundant source of clean, renewable, reliable power that industry leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) has been generating in various parts of our country for close to 50 years now.
First Gen-owned EDC is the world’s largest vertically integrated geothermal producer and the Philippines’ premier renewable energy (RE) firm that accounts for 80% of the country’s total generated RE.
At the foot of Mount Apo, the “grandfather of Philippine mountains,” lies EDC’s 112-megawatt Mount Apo Geothermal Project (MAGP), a model for sustainable development that has been managing 701 hectares of forests since 1997.
MAGP enables the region to avoid at least 600,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year in lieu of coal. Moreover, its carbon footprint of only 0.02 ton of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour (tCO2/MWh) is much lower than the Mindanao grid’s 0.29 tCO2/MWh.
Restoring majestic Mount Apo as part of business
Vital to recharging the geothermal reservoir are lush forests within the geothermal reservation. For this, EDC has been implementing various forest enhancement programs that have evolved over the years to make them more sustainable.
What started out as a social forestry program that transformed kaingeros (slash and burn farmers) into forest stewards through a series of training and by incentivizing their efforts to take care of the forests has become a science-based forest restoration program that still relies heavily on community partnerships.
In 2008, the company launched BINHI, the country’s only private-led forest restoration program that aims to not only sustain its geothermal resource but to also bridge forest gaps and bring back to abundance 145 flagship endangered Philippine native tree species.
Having planted and grown close to 950,000 native tree seedlings on more than 1,400 hectares in the Mt. Apo Natural Park area, Kidapawan City, Magpet, Makilala, Arakan, and Bansalan, Davao del Sur since 1992, MAGP has been able to retain 90% of the forest cover in its area of operation, resulting in a carbon sequestration increment of 972 metric tons per year.
No wonder, the seventh nesting site for Philippine eagles was found there—a sign that the critically endangered bird of prey continues to make its home and produce offspring in one of its natural habitats. The 701-hectare protected geothermal reservation surrounding MAGP alone is home to 33 mammal species and 177 bird species, including the Philippine eagle.
Sowing seeds of progress
Apart from helping EDC manage its BINHI areas in MAGP, the indigenous peoples (IP)/Indigenous Cultural Communities of Mt. Apo particularly the Obo Manov, as rightful holders of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) outside of the 701 Geothermal Reservation, are also involved in the Social Enterprise Development Program that EDC initiated to provide technical assistance in coffee farming—from farm seedling establishment, plantation establishment, good agricultural practices, trainings in order to create a social enterprise business model from seed-to-cup where the beneficiaries are members of the IP/ICC of the host community.
In 2022, the collaborative journey between EDC and the Sondawa Coffee Farmers Association (SOCOFA) finally bore fruit with the launch of Apo’s Brew Coffee. Local and visiting coffee enthusiasts can spend an hour or two at their Coffee Shared Facility in Pook Kalikasan, Brgy. Ilomavis, Kidapawan City, where SOCOFA sells their locally-processed products.
EDC has likewise been sowing seeds of progress among the youth in its IP community through the Mount Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI)’s senior high school and college scholarship program. Apart from helping the youth through its Educational Development Program, its Community and Environment Program ensures a harmonious relationship between the communities within the Mount Apo Natural Park. Lastly, its Cultural Heritage Program promotes their welfare and preserves the culture and traditions of their IP communities.
The IP communities in Mount Apo have come a long way in protecting the mountain and its natural wonders. More importantly, its symbiotic relationship with EDC for over two decades has paved the way for the company to sustainably generate geothermal energy—the only form of renewable energy that provides clean, uninterrupted power—as it continues to empower them and other Filipinos.
Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is First Gen Corporation’s 100% Renewable Energy (RE) subsidiary with over 1,400MW total installed capacity that accounts for 20% of the country’s total installed RE capacity. Its 1,170MW geothermal portfolio comprises 80% of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, making the Philippines the third largest geothermal producer in the world. First Gen is the Philippines’ leading clean energy company.
