TOLEDO CITY, Cebu, Philippines - Power generation firms, Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) and the Toledo Power Company (TPC) have expanded their reach in environmental preservation by committing to rehabilitate 500 hectares of forestland in the province.
Officials from CEDC and the TPC signed last week an agreement with the Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water Foundation Inc. (CUSW) to restore the Mananga Watershed at the Central Cebu Protected Landscape, which comprise of 500 hectares of forestland.
"The Mananga Forest Restoration Project speaks yet again of CEDC and TPC's responsible corporate citizenship by ensuring the preservation of the environment while operating clean coal-fired power plants in Toledo City, Cebu," read a statement from the CEDC.
CEDC President Jesus Alcordo said the project indicates that the power generators are committed not only to produce reliable electricity for Cebu's economic progress but are guided by its commitment to protect and conserve the environment.
"This is part of our responsible corporate citizenship by ensuring preservation of the environment while operating our coal-fired power plant here," Alcordo said.
Both power firms founded the "Kabilin" program in 2009, which seeks to undertake a community tree planting and livelihood development program to ensure sustainable and reliable power plant operations.
The Kabilin program also aims to develop a mechanism where the tree planting activity can provide livelihood opportunities to the four immediately affected communities adjacent to the power plant site, that is, Sangi, Daanglungsod, Luray and Poblacion.
"We envision our plant to be in the middle of a forest," Alcordo said, stressing that this is the company's way of informing the public that the coal-fired power plant is compliant with environmental safety measures.
The CEDC head said the CEDC plant uses clean coal technology through the circulating fluidized bed method.
