Receiving EDC’s award at the 2023 Tambuli Asia Pacific Awards are (2nd from left to right): Jolly Jamoralin, corporate communications lead; Myrissa Tabao, head office—corporate relations head; Norreen Bautista, Negros corporate relations head; and Frances Ariola, corporate communications headEnergy Development Corporation (EDC) has received accolades anew for BINHI, its institutionalized regreening and reforestation program focused on rescuing and propagating endangered local tree species.

At the 2023 Tambuli Asia Pacific Awards, BINHI won the top gold citation under the Care for the Environment category of the Sustainability & Corporate Purpose division and went on to receive the event’s highest commendation—the Grand Prix, considered the best among all other gold winners across the division’s various categories.

The Baslay coffee project, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in EDC’s Southern Negros Geothermal Project, won a silver award under the Inclusive Growth category in the same division.

The Tambuli Asia Pacific Awards is organized by the School of Communication of the University of Asia and the Pacific. This year was the inaugural presentation of the Sustainability & Corporate Purpose division, in addition to Tambuli’s traditional awards on Brand Purpose, with the private sector’s increasing emphasis on sustainable development and ESG (environmental, social and governance) investing.

BINHI was also included in the first recognition ceremony of the ASEAN Green Initiative (AGI) held in Jakarta during the celebration of 50th World Environment Day spearheaded by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. BINHI was included under the Large-Scale category which tracks 5,000 trees or more planted.

The BINHI team was invited to share its experience and knowledge on ecosystem restoration and mainstreaming of Philippine native trees. The AGI recognizes individuals and groups that contributed to attaining the goal to plant at least 10 million native trees across the 10 ASEAN member states in a span of 10 years in line with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

“We truly value these continuing recognitions for our BINHI program that affirm its positive impact on the environment and local communities. Beyond sustainability, the challenge of regeneration is nurturing the environment and developing more reliable resources for future generations such as renewable energy,” said Atty. Allan Barcena, EDC assistant vice president and CSR and public relations head. (Story/Photos by:Frances Ariola)