Corporate Social Responsibility
Quezon Power project: Empowering women through entrepreneurship
By MYRNA M. VELASCO
At crisis times, women filtering through the economic spectrum are commonly becoming part of the problem-solving repertoire.
The traditional stereotype portraying men as the sole breadwinner no longer holds (no ill will intended here towards the ‘man of the house’). Families, by far, increasingly need higher paychecks to make ends meet; and so women’s help in supplementing income is important.
This universal truth riveted the interest of Quezon Power Philippines Ltd. Co. (QPL), operator of the 460-megawatt coal-fired generation facility in Mauban town that supplies part of
Entrepreneurship skills
Via its corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda designed as the "Quezon Power Trails" project, the company integrates a component that will promote entrepreneurial knowledge and skills among Maubanin women, through the socalled "Samahan sa Kakayahang Pangangalakal" or SKP. The program aims to train aspiring micro- and small entrepreneurs to advance growth of their preferred businesses by giving them training and/or technical and market support.
Barely two years into the entrepreneurship training program, yet Luz Miclat who’s into banana chips-making venture, already has a bit of success story to share.
Before joining the SKP program, "I was not thinking much of how I would want my business to grow," she shares. That mindset of course, has changed — with her gaining acumen and becoming skilled in running the business. Luz already counts clientele not only from Quezon but also in Metro Manila for her banana chips – which she now distributes in five different flavors from the original two she had when starting.
She imparts that the entrepreneurship program "helped me to become innovative not just in packaging and expanding my product lines; but also in the more critical aspect of managing financial records so I can monitor the progress of my business."
Being the steadfast partner in the socio-economic enhancement of its corporate community, the tie-up it has with the women micro-entrepreneurs is now moving to the level where QPL has been helping get through proper registration of their businesses.
The entrepreneurial skills enhancement program, according to QPL public affairs director Litz Santana, kicked off with the participation of 25 aspiring and practicing micro-entrepreneurs, who were made to design business proposals that they think would be viable for them to carry out. All these are supplemented with training and skills enhancement on targetted businesses in meat processing, baking and pastry making, candle and soap making, cosmetology and massage training. Start-up kits are also distributed to the participants in helping them start their businesses.
In a way, she noted that this has been complementary to the company’s Microfinance Program, wherein it extended loans to promising Mauban entrepreneurs. Loan portfolio for this initiative, done in partnership with the ABS–CBN Bayan Foundation, already reached P1.5 million for 400 beneficiaries; and summing up about 1,600 individuals being benefited indirectly. The program sets forth a 100 percent loan repayment rate, with most of its members realizing a higher and more stable income for their families.
Completing the loop was introducing the concept of cooperativism; which eventually moved notches ahead through the formation of three — the first being the Cagsiay 1 MultiPurpose Cooperative initiated for livelihood trainings in reforestation, gardening, construction and painting, bookkeeping and cooperative development for jobless residents of the area. Coming in next are Kapatiran ng mga Kababaihan para sa Kalusugan at Kaunlaran ng Barangays Cagsiay 1 and Cagsiay 2 (K4C1 and K4C2) Multi-Purpose Women’s Cooperatives; established in 2003 as a complementary program to Quezon Power’s feeding program for malnourished schoolchildren.
To sum up, all these undertakings underpinned by QPL as a private sector partner, are clear manifestation that if given their way, women could be equal partners in economic development.
Building on Mauban’s full potential
Entering the Philippine power market while just getting out from the throes of a power crisis, Quezon Power was not flustered at all to learn that a great part of its responsibility would be to help in rebuilding both a country and community that were literally in the dumps then. This has prompted the company to gear up for a humungous task, said QPL general manager Frank Thiel, "to be able to empower the Maubanins and to effect positive change in their lives."
Looking back, Mr. Thiel can now profess that "Quezon Power always believed that given the proper skills, technology and guidance, the Maubanins would likely gain the innate capability to rise above their limitations and be productive citizens of their community."
Mauban then was a fourth class municipality composed of 40 barangays with a population of around 60,000; with the fishing and agriculture as the residents’ main source of subsistence. This ‘lowly’ condition of the community, served as the groundwork for Quezon Power in designing a wide-ranging and sustainable community development program anchored on health and nutrition, education, environment, livelihood training and development, and environmental protection. QPL is listed as an American independent power producer, with US-based Intergen being its largest shareholder (recently acquired by AIG Investments and Ontario Teachers Fund), added to equities held by US firm Covanta Energy and local partner PMR Power.
For all that has been reaped as social benefits that have clear trickle-down effect on its host community, the flagship programs that collectively make up Quezon Power’s sustainable development initiatives have reaped awards from local and international organizations.
The company has been recognized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) with two Anvil Awards of Excellence and two Anvil Awards of Merit for its various programs and their accompanying collaterals; and was correspondingly honored with a Gold Quill Award of Excellence by the International Association of Business Communicators under the economic, social and environmental development category.
The company similarly received the
Today, Mauban has grown from being a fourth-class to a first class municipality and is now a candidate for cityhood. The municipality has also improved to a great extent, with it now equipped with basic social infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, water system, health centers and a stable and reliable electricity service.
This was made possible by Quezon Power’s partnership with the local government unit and other community-based organizations as well as the company’s on-time remittance of the correct real property and local business taxes amounting to .6 million per annum.
Stewardship
A critical component of Quezon Power’s stewardship was to inculcate the value and benefits of environmental protection and conservation awareness within the community; through information, education and communication program set up in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – the goal of which was to bring down information and knowledge on the value of environmental preservation to the grassroots level, primarily in various schools and barangays.
Main focus of lectures are on bio-diversity, forest conservation, proper waste management and sustainable development both within and around the power plant, and has so far reached 4,000 school children and over 2,000 residents from Mauban and selected barangays in the municipalities of Tayabas and Sampaloc.
"Quezon Power takes to heart its commitment of being a responsible steward of the environment not only through the use of proven technology but also through a sound environmental program," Mr. Thiel stressed.
Other regular environmental activities the company is engaged in are coastal clean-ups, a slope protection program maintained by the members of the Cagsiay I Multi-Purpose Cooperative, tree planting, mangrove protection and propagation, protection and management of
The value of health and education is also top in QPL’s social agenda as a corporate partner.
Believing in the aphorism that "education is a great equalizer", this was its driving force behind two of the most important programs that Quezon Power has continuously sustained. First, is the feeding program dubbed as "Food for Thought" which provides breakfast and lunch to 700 malnourished children from Cagsiay 1 and 2 Elementary Schools from Mondays to Fridays. Prior to this, the students were properly weighed and de-wormed while their parents were oriented on the benefits of instilling proper nutrition on their children.
On a broader scale, QPL also builds on the intellect and prospect of a bright future of its chosen student-scholars. Remunerations it offers include free tuition; free board and lodging; and transportation, book and uniform allowance. Since 1998, QPL reported that it already sent 31 less-fortunate yet deserving scholars to prestigious tertiary educational institutions.
Health-wise, the company carries out bi-monthly free medical consultation and medicines to residents of villages surrounding its power plant. To date, it has directly reached more than 10,000 patients through bi-monthly free clinics at the plant site, on top of its bi-annual municipal-wide medical and dental missions, and quarterly medical and dental missions in far-flung barangays.
Indeed, Quezon Power lives up to expectations that it is a true partner in promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and in helping improve the quality of life for its host community.
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