THIRTY-TWO young leaders in Negros Island learned how geothermal energy can help them and the rest of our country have a sustainable future in Energy Development Corporation's (EDC) Binhi Youth Camp in Valencia, Negros Oriental, which ends today.
Now on its fifth year, the Binhi Youth Camp-Negros (BYC-Negros) is a three-day boot-camp on geothermal energy and BINHI forest restoration that aims instill pride among the participants for the abundance of geothermal energy in our island.
"Geothermal energy is the Holy Grail among renewable energy (RE) technologies because it is the only form of RE that can provide baseload power all year round, whatever the season is," said Engr., Vicente Omandam Jr., senior manager and head of EDC Reservoir and Project Management Division. "And the good news is, we have lots of it here in Negros."
This year, 13 delegates from Negros Oriental State University, Saint Paul University Dumaguete, Foundation University, STI-Dumaguete, Asian College of Science and Technology, and Silliman University in Negros Oriental joined the camp this year.
Nineteen students from Southland College-Kabankalan, University of Negros Occidental Recoletos, University of St. La Salle, Bago City College, Bacolod City College, La Consolacion College - Bacolod, Visayan Maritime Academy Global College, Colegio San Agustin - Bacolod, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod, STI-West Negros University, and Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas.
Championing geothermal energy
Throughout the camp, the participants' inquisitive minds stirred numerous complex questions. They were very much interested in learning how geothermal energy works and how planting trees helps in sustaining this form of clean, renewable energy.
The talk on youth advocacies in social media taught them that they have a voice and they should use it to spread correct information on various topics that they care about through their social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
On day 2, the campers applied what they learned about EDC's Binha greening legacy.
A tour of the company's 112.5-megawatt Palinpinon-1 geothermal power plant enabled them to see how geothermal provides clean, renewable, uninterrupted power source to Negros and its neighboring provinces. There, they learned why geothermal is 24/7 and how EDC sustains its resource.
EDC disaster and crisis team head Ted Esguerra of the Mt. Everest Team, also gave the campers tips on how to prevent disasters and accidents, and more so, how to deal with them in case they happen.
The camp culminates today with an experiential learning activity called "Amazing Binhi Race," where participants apply everything they learned in the BYC and the participants' graduation ceremonies.
The BYC was conducted by EDC employee-volunteers and its Binhi Youth Champions from the 2014-2017 batches who continue to support the company in all its BINHI and its Community Partnerships projects. (PR)