Monday, January 21, 2008 Hedcor inks MOA with city villages for power project
HEDCOR Tamugan, Inc. (HTI) recently signed a Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) with eight barangays in Davao City for the company's proposed construction of three run-of-river hydropower plants in the area.
The community leaders of barangays Wines, Tawan-tawan, Tambobong, Suawan, Salaysay, Carmen, Cadalian, and Tamayong, including Indigenous Peoples' (IPs) leaders Datu Cesar Betil of Tamayong and Datu Roque Maylan of Cadalian, signed their respective MOAs with Hedcor president and chief operating officer Rene Ronquillo.
The signing signified the communities' and IPs' approval and support of the company's 34-megawatt Tamugan Hydropower Project.
The signed agreements will provide development opportunities, livelihood projects, and basic healthcare services to the communities during construction and operation of the plants starting 2008.
"The coming of Hedcor is providential in so many aspects," said Datu Rudy Anta of the Clata Tribe. "It will give the tribal people a chance to improve socially; deserving IP students will have a chance to pursue higher education; the project will provide jobs and can generate a number of economic opportunities for everyone," he added.
HTI, sister company of Hedcor, Inc. and Hedcor Sibulan, Inc. (HSI), is investing P5 billion to construct three run-of-river hydropower plants in the Calinan, Baguio, and Marilog Districts. These plants are the 20-megawatt Tamugan AB, the 6.5-megawatt Suawan, and the 7.5-megawatt Panigan plants. The investment also represents a significant portion of Davao City's P10 billion investment targets for the year according to the local Borad of Investments office.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the residents and IPs of the barangays," said Ronquillo. "Aside from generating clean energy, we are glad to be part of the community's sustainable development," he added.
The Tamugan Project will generate 231 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy that will displace about 89,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents starting 2010.
The generated electricity, together with HSI's P5 billion, 42.5-megawatt Sibulan Hydropower Project in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, will be supplied to Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to help avert an impending power crisis in the region.
HTI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, the publicly listed holding company of all Aboitiz assets in the power generation and distribution industries.
