DUMAGUETE CITY – The municipality of Valencia in Negros Oriental can now accelerate its testing of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients following the donation of Universal Transport Mediums (UTMs) and detection kits by geothermal power leader, Energy Development Corporation (EDC).
This is EDC’s latest show of support for the province of Negros Oriental particularly Valencia, the town that hosts its 222.5 megawatt (MW) Southern Negros geothermal power facility.
A media release on Thursday said EDC recently donated 700 UTMs and 432 detection kits that the local government unit (LGU) can use for its massive swab testing and contact tracing.
The donation came as Negros Oriental continues to struggle with a surge of Covid-19 cases and the lack of resources such as vaccines.
“Your recent donation of 432 kits of Sansure Detection Kits will definitely go a long way for the constituents of Valencia as we are relentless in our efforts in curbing cases of Covid-19,” Dr. Cheryl Luz Eullaran, Municipal Health Officer, was quoted as saying in the statement.
“Because of your generosity, we are able to further our testing as part of the mitigation activities of the community. As our public health system capacity relies on detecting, testing, contact tracing, and isolation, the need for the UTMs is essential. Thank you for your continuous generous support,” Eullaran added.
Norreen Bautista, head of EDC’S Corporate Social Responsibility team in Negros island, in an interview Thursday, gave the reassurance of their commitment to helping their partner communities in Valencia and even with the provincial government of Negros Oriental.
“We at EDC strive to provide the uninterrupted supply of clean, renewable 24/7 power that our province needs, especially for the hospitals and clinics,” she said, adding “dili mo namo pasagdan, Negros (we will not neglect you, Negros)”.
EDC earlier donated PHP11 million worth of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines and peripherals to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital Molecular Laboratory, along with PHP5.6 million worth of RT-PCR kits, and PHP1.84-million Rapid Antibody test kits.
The geothermal power facility in Valencia has been operating for over 40 years, providing clean, stable, and renewable energy to the province and other parts of the region.
In total, EDC generates over 40 percent of the Philippines’ renewable energy output and serves about 10 percent of the country’s overall electricity demand with its installed capacity of almost 1,500MW.
Its 1,181MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity and has put the Philippines on the map as the world’s third-largest geothermal power producer, the company said
Source: Philippines News Agency
