Energy Development Corporation (EDC) simultaneously unveiled two corporate social responsibility initiatives that seek to elevate the environment and its partner community in Leyte—the Tongonan Farmers Association’s (TOFA) coffee and cacao processing facility and the BINHI vegetative materials reproduction (VMR) nursery.

The TOFA project is a part of the 45-hectare coffee and cacao plantation that a new generation of farmers established in 2020 through the support of EDC, the city government of Ormoc, the Department of Science and Technology Region VIII (DOST VIII), and the Brgy. Tongonan local government unit (Tongonan BLGU). It is one of EDC’s initiatives to create selfsustaining communities through social enterprise development.

EDC was represented by vice president and corporate support functions head Regina Victoria Pascual, assistant vice president and corporate relations and communications head Atty. Allan Barcena, officer-in-charge head of the Leyte geothermal facility Andy Durog, Leyte corporate relations head Erwin Magallanes, corporate communications head Frances Ariola and other key officials and employees.

Also gracing the event were Ormoc City Sangguniang Panlungsod member Atty. Nolito Quilang who represented mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, DOST regional director Engr. Ernesto Granada, DOST Leyte provincial science and technology director Dr. John Glenn Ocaña, Brgy. Tongonan chairperson Wilma Taneo and members of the Tongonan BLGU.

Founded by EDC and the farmers in the barangay in 1989, TOFA has been helping the company protect the forests in its geothermal facility for over 30 years now.

“We are thankful to TOFA for being guardians of our reforestation areas here in Leyte all these years,” said Magallanes.

EDC has provided P1.5 million worth of contributions to cover the facility’s renovation, plantation expansion and capacity development programs for TOFA’s members.

The BINHI VMR nursery, which was launched on the same day, will help EDC’s BINHI team propagate the Philippine threatened native tree species that are endemic to the region such as katmon bayani, mapilig, almaciga and other dipterocarp species.
(Story/Photos by:Frances Ariola)