Therma South to implement P7.5-M community projects
IN its bid to co-create safe, empowered, and sustainable communities, AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South, Inc. (TSI) has signed an agreement for 9 corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects worth P7.5 million to be implemented this year.
The project partners and beneficiaries inked their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) during a one-time signing ceremony last April 19, 2022 in Barangay Binugao in Davao City. The event was attended by representatives of various sectors including barangay officials and officers from the education and health departments of the government.
"COVID-19 has certainly changed the way we live, the way we work, the way we interact with people, but I believe, one thing has not changed: our partnership with the communities and the local government units," said AboitizPower Coal Business Unit Vice President for Corporate Services Ginger
Tanchi.
"We strive hard in order to support our host communities who have also been working alongside us, and partnering with us," she added.
With support from Aboitiz Foundation, the CSR projects slated for the year are focused on educational scholarship and facility improvements, infrastructure initiatives for safe and disaster resiliency, and livelihood programs that integrate environmental sustainability, and health programs.
Sustainable projects for the community
Part of the roster of projects to be implemented this year is the Binugao Backyard Farming and Community Garden program which was initiated by community members during the pandemic.
TSI Reputation and Stakeholder Management Manager
Lou Jason Deligencia explained that since it was difficult for these community members to go to the market during the pandemic, the barangay allowed them to grow vegetables in a vacant lot.
Like this program, Deligencia said other initiatives being implemented this year are brought by a series of planning sessions conducted with local community leaders to map out the social interventions they needed to support community development.
“We practice a participative and responsive CSR here in TSI,” he said. “The framework we are using is a collaboration between the company and our partners from the community. These projects will not be launched today if not for the cooperation from our stakeholders.”
Other initiatives include granting of high school and college scholarships to indigent students with good scholastic records in barangay Binugao and Inawayan, school facility improvements, and various livelihood opportunities.
During his speech at the ceremony, Inawayan Barangay Captain Danny Baquial thanked TSI for its unwavering support to his constituents, especially during this time of pandemic. “Barangay Inawayan has become famous for its projects because of AboitizPower. “Nakahimo mi ug barangay isolation unit from AboitizPower through ER 1-94, we are the only barangay in Davao del Sur to have an isolation unit,” he explained.
TSI is also now on its final leg of a three-year commitment to provide support to Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital. For this year, the company will be building a waiting area for the hospital, among other initiatives.
“The projects that we have identified and conducted with TSI in the past few years are useful for the hospital, for us to deliver the services that the people of Davao del Sur needs. Para sa amo, importante na nahimo namo ang TSI na partner, and we are thankful that we are one of the recipients of your CSR,” said Davao del Sur Provincial Health Officer Dr. Jonna Masongsong.