NOMINATION FOR AWARD FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE: QUEZON

UNCLAS MANILA 001273 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/EP STATE FOR EEB/EPPD NSMITH-NISSLEY STATE PASS EXIM, OPIC AND USTR TREASURY FOR OASIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP EINV ELAB ETRD KSEP SENV RP SUBJECT: NOMINATION FOR AWARD FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE: QUEZON POWER (PHILIPPINES),LIMITED COMPANY REF: A)State 51406 B)State 34898 NOMINATION -------------- ¶1. Post is pleased to nominate Quezon Power Limited Company, one of the Philippines largest power generation companies, for the Award for Corporate Excellence in the small/medium enterprise category. The company operates a 460-megawatt coal-fired power plant with a 31-kilometer transmission line in Mauban, Quezon. Quezon Power sells electricity to the largest distribution utility in the Philippines. Founded during the major energy crisis of the late 1990s, Quezon Power established programs to improve the quality of life in the community where its plant is located. Quezon Power is an outstanding example of a socially and environmentally responsible corporate leader. Good Corporate Citizenship -------------- ¶2. In 1996, the company implemented the Quezon Power Sustainable Development Program which demonstrates innovation and diversity in Quezon Power's focus on education, health, the environment, and the livelihood and development of infrastructure in Mauban, the community where its plant is located. The Quezon Power Trails Program trains farmers and small entrepreneurs, and funds vocational-technical scholarships for out-of-school youth. The program supports two cooperatives. Over 200 members of one cooperative have been trained in reforestation, nursery management, construction, painting and financial management. The other cooperative focuses on women and has trained mothers in proper nutrition and reproductive health, marketing, and food preparation. ¶3. In partnership with the University of the Philippines Open University and the local government, Quezon Power established the Teacher Development Training Program to enhance public elementary school teachers' skills in Math, Science and English. Forty-one public school teachers have been the beneficiaries of this master equivalency program. Quezon Power also provides free education to the most qualified students, resulting in about a hundred high school graduates and university degrees. ¶4. Quezon Power's sustained presence in the region has helped residents move from poverty to self-sufficiency. Quezon Power conducts regular free clinics at the plant site, regional medical and dental missions, and periodic outreach to remote villages. These missions have provided health care to over 20,000 patients. Mauban, once an impoverished community, is now prosperous. Responsible Environmental Stewardship -------------- ¶5. Quezon Power believes in producing reliable energy without comprising its surrounding environment. The company follows environmental guidelines that meet or exceed local and international environmental standards. Quezon Power uses a highly efficient filtration device that removes particles from the air using an electrostatic charge. It also maintains continuous emissions monitoring system and waste water treatment facilities. ¶6. Quezon Power monitors ambient air quality, noise, stack emissions, and surface and groundwater quality. Additionally, Quezon Power also observes the environmental health of Lamon Bay, which abuts plant property. Quezon Power's environmental team tests soil to ensure that the plant does not adversely impact surrounding agriculture. Quezon Power received the 2007 Best Environmental Company Award from the Asian Power Awards and the 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Award for Environment from the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Local Economic Development -------------- ¶7. Quezon Power provides significant economic and social benefits to Mauban and to Quezon Province by supporting local business and contractors, as well as micro-entrepreneurship through its development program. About 750 local residents work in Quezon Power's food and beverage concessionaire and its local cooperative. Quezon Power's reliable electricity supply to the Luzon grid allows for the recent development of small enterprises in the area. This support has resulted in a long-term revenue stream of about PHP 2.2 billion (about $162 million) to the local government. KENNEY