Forty Energy Development Corporation (EDC) scholars from Valencia, Negros Oriental Wednesday are graduating today from a eight-day Energy Summer Camp held at the Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field (SNGPF) in that town.

The camp’s culminating activities are its Amazing Race and graduation rites to be held tonight, to be graced by EDC President and CEO Paul Aquino.

Participants in the Energy Camp are students entering their senior year, and are EDC scholars attending the EDC host community schools, namely, Pulangbato National High School, Balugo National High School, Valencia National High School, and San Pedro Academy Recoletos.

Now on its sixth year, the Energy Camp is an annual summer recreational event organized by geothermal leader EDC for their incoming fourth-year high school scholars all over the country, said EDC’s Corporate Communications Officer Frances Ariola.

The SNGPF e-camp is the first of seven camps that EDC will have this year, she added.

The project is a brainchild of Paul Aquino who wanted to initiate a program that would ensure fun and experiential learning for the youth in the company’s host communities as well as the children of EDC employees.

Special awards will be given to individuals and teams that stood out among the entire bunch during the camp graduation.

EDC’s Energy Camp has already garnered accolades not only from the scholars’ parents and the company’s host communities and local government units, but more so from the prestigious Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ (PRSP) Anvil Awards and the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Gold Quill Awards for being more than just a one-time PR project, said Ariola.

It has become a sustainable program that creates lasting results on the beneficiaries’ growth and development.

This year, EDC will have seven Energy Camps for the scholars in its geothermal sites in Valencia, Negros Oriental (two camps); Bacon-Manito, Sorsogon; Tongonan, Leyte (two camps), Kidapawan, North Cotabato (two camps), including one for the teachers in the company’s host schools.

A total of 382 residents of the company’s host communities (220 scholars, 44 teachers and 118 children of EDC employees) will benefit from this project.

Source:balita.ph