KIBUNGAN, Benguet – Local officials and farmers beneficiaries from the different barangays of this municipality expressed their gratitude to the newly established Tawid Foundation for having extended assistance to the calamity-stricken families during the 20th founding anniversary of the municipality.
Tawid Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Cordillera Hydroelectric Development Power Corporation (COHECO) which seeks to embark on sustainable livelihood and ecotourism projects that will help improve the economic condition of the people living in the host and neighboring communities of the company’s 60-megawatt project in Kapangan and Kibungan towns.
Municipal officials led by Mayor Cesar Molitas officially received the several packs of cabbage and bean seeds and several rounds of rolls of plastic for greenhouses from the Tawid Foundation officials who joined the municipality in the simple but meaningful celebration of the town’s foundation.
Tawid Foundation officials believe establishing a solid partnership with the local residents in the host and neighboring communities will help empower the people to be actively involved in charting the development thrust of their communities through the various projects being lined up for implementation, saying that the assistance that they have extended to the affected farmers is just the initial wave of help and more are lined up in the coming months.
Kibungan was one of the hardest-hit municipalities in Benguet by Typhoon Lawin last month where more than 2,193 families were affected.
COHECO plans to put up a 60-megawatt hydroelectric power plant in the border of Kapangan and Kibungan towns after it was able to secure the free and prior informed consent of the indigenous peoples within the two ancestral domains.
Earlier, Mayor Molitas announced the local government decided to forego the numerous activities that were previously lined up by the organizers for the celebration of the town’s founding anniversary since the funds will be instead used to assist calamity-stricken families in the different barangays.
COHECO is now awaiting the pertinent documents from concerned agencies to start the full blown construction of its hydroelectric power plant coupled with the building of a multi-million road for its use. Being the corporate social responsibility arm of the local power corporation, Tawid Foundation will implementation livelihood projects to help improve the livelihood of the people in the area.
Molitas thanked the Tawid Foundation officials for extending whatever available assistance to his calamity-stricken constituents because such assistance will surely go a long way in their recovery.
By HENT
