As the year draws to a close, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still felt despite almost a full year of grappling against the virus. The pandemic has brought the world into a new normal where digital interactions become the norm, and where frontliners have been forced into high gear to cope with the ever rising number of confirmed cases.
While circumstances may have forced people to be physically distant, the pandemic has spurred people and organizations to come together and collaborate more closely than ever before. An example of this is the public-private partnership between AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South, Inc. (TSI), Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. with the Provincial Government of Davao del Sur to improve the facilities of Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH).
DSPH, wracked by both strong earthquakes in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, is one of the largest government hospitals in the area, catering to patients even from outside Davao del Sur. As a part of Year 1 of a 3-year program for the Hospital, TSI donated a semi-permanent triage, public address system, and voiceover internet phone (VoIP) communication system to help reduce foot traffic within and around the Hospital, thereby minimizing the risks of exposure to communicable diseases.
These projects were identified with the help of the Provincial Health Office headed by Dr. Jonna Masongsong. For the course of three years, TSI will be working together with the Province to identify priority projects to support the improvement of quality healthcare in Davao del Sur.
“The Provincial Government of Davao del Sur extends our gratitude to Therma South and Aboitiz Foundation because in the course of this 3-year program, Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital will receive six million worth of projects from them. That is already a big help to the hospital and the Province of Davao del Sur,” said Vice Governor Marc Douglas Cagas during the turnover ceremony last December 9, 2020.
In Davao City, AboitizPower also recently turned over 13 air-conditioned tents to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), which can accommodate 52 persons as a holding facility for COVID-19 patients. The project aimed to help address the congestion of COVID-19 patients in SPMC.
Wholly-owned AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South, Inc. (TSI) is the owner and operator of the 300-Megawatt Davao Baseload Power Plant located in Binugao, Toril, Davao City. TSI is certified in four ISO standards, namely Quality Management (ISO 9001:2015), Environmental Management (ISO 14001:2015), Occupational Health and Safety Management (ISO 45001:2018), and Asset Management System (ISO 55001:2014). Along with Therma Luzon, Inc. and Therma Visayas, Inc., the three primarily compose the Coal Business Unit of AboitizPower.
