A new beginning for Atimonan residents
Johnny Ambon, barangay captain of Barangay Villa Ibaba in Atimonan, Quezon, gazes across the new relocation project with local residents bustling through their daily business, content and inspired with their new lives.
“Since the relocation is in the center of the barangays, we will have a closely-knit community and services will be readily accessible,” said Ambon.
For several decades, close to 300 residents of Sitio Carinay, one of the two Sitios in Barangay Villa Ibaba, were living in makeshift and worn-out houses. Thanks to a housing project provided by Atimonan One Energy Inc. (A1E) and Habitat for Humanity Philippines Foundation, they are now decently living in a new community complete with the basic facilities, ushering a new beginning for their families and next generation.
Prior to the project, life in the seaside sitio of Carinay was simple, with folks relying on fishing along the shore of Lamon Bay, and gathering food from the land as their main means of livelihood.
New houses, new lives
Last year, A1E finally turned over new single detached houses to 47 families under the company’s New Carinay Housing Project. Each house has installed power and water supply, toilet and bath, as well as proper sewerage system. After five years, the land title will be handed over to formally allow them to own the properties built for them.
To ensure convenient community living, A1E also provided community facilities, including a small chapel, basketball court, water tanks, and a multi-purpose hall where the Carinay Homeowners’ Association can hold community gatherings.
Easy access to transport
The availability and easier access to various mode of transport is fundamental to the sustainability and independence of isolated communities in Atimonan.
One of the areas given high priority by A1E in cooperation with Atimonan provincial and local government units (LGUs) is in efficiently and conveniently transporting residents of isolated communities in Barangay Villa Ibaba to the town proper.
For example, A1E provided regular boat trips for students so they can easily and conveniently reach their schools. This encourages them to continue their studies instead of quitting due to the long and perilous walk in mountain edges they previously need to endure just to attend their classes.
A 1.6-kilometer road project will soon be completed that will allow easier movement of local commodities and essential goods, hence sustain socio-economic progress in Atimonan.
Building a self-reliant community
A1E, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, is injecting significant investments in creating a self-reliant community through various social development projects focusing on livelihood, education, health and sanitation, safety and disaster risk reduction and environment stewardship.
As of end 2017, A1E has already spent P12.4 million since it started its CSR projects in 2012 in Atimonan.
A1E is developing a 1,200 megawatt state-of-the art coalfired power plant in Atimonan, Quezon, the first power station in the Philippines to utilize high efficient, low emission (HELE) technology known as ultra supercritical (USC).
Based on estimates, direct job creation when the plant becomes operational alone could peak at over 4,000 covering labor, staff and engineers. During the 25-year operation phase of A1E, around 300 direct jobs are expected to be generated.
The project will also result in the creation of indirect job and peripheral livelihood opportunities in the service, construction and electromechanical, food catering and hospitality, residential property utilization and retail industries, among others.