Hedcor, the run-of-river hydropower arm of AboitizPower, set its focus to keeping the lights on by ensuring continued clean energy generation, and to assist its partner communities navigate through the pandemic.
In aiding its host communities, Hedcor—in collaboration with Aboitiz Foundation re-aligned its 2020 budget to support the country’s COVID-19 response efforts. In 2020, Hedcor turned over P4.65million worth of community projects. Of this total, P2.5million were allocated to prioritize the immediate needs of Hedcor’s beneficiaries. This was able to provide assistance for 38 barangays and 16 cities and municipalities from the provinces of Benguet, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Bukidnon, and Davao.
Of the assistance, P1.04 million were allocated for sacks of rice and ready-to-eat goods, as well as bottles of disinfectants and hand soaps provided for LGUs. More than P600,000-worth of medical supplies such as surgical masks, gloves, goggles, alcohol, and thermal scanners were also turned over to front liners of Hedcor’s partner local government units. Moreover, around P500,00 were allocated for medical equipment of Quarantine Control Point front liners.
The rest are allocated for education-centered programs such as tertiary and high school scholarship and donation of school supplies.
On top of the P4.65M worth of assistance, Hedcor also assisted its host communities to avail of the accumulated P18.2 million of generation shares under the ER 1-94 policy of DOE’s Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). The ER 1-94 program supports Hedcor’s host communities to get a share of one centavo for every kilowatt-hour (P0.01/kWh) generated by Hedcor’s plant facility in the area.
Originally, the generation shares of ER 1-94 program prioritizes projects on electrification, development and livelihood, and reforestation, watershed management, health and environment enhancement. Due to the outbreak however, DOE issued Department Circular 2020-004-00080, dictating that the ER 1-94 funds received by host communities may now be used in full for efforts towards managing the effects of COVID-19.
