Mirant changing world with its energy

The negative image of power distributors and producers has been due largely to the international power producer (IPP) scam. Consequently, these producers are perceived to be power (pun intended) and money-hungry. This image hardly applies to Mirant Corporation, whose main business is power generation. Although the company has been operating in the Philippines since the 1980s, it has been declared free of the IPP anomalies, and has been effectively lighting up electric-powerless barangays in the country.

All that we found out at lunch with the Mirant Philippines people – George P. Henefeld, executive vice president; Paul Flake, vice president for external affairs; Roberto R. Calingo, executive director of Mirant Philippines Foundation; Greggy Romualdez and Abbey Lucas of external affairs.

Mirant owns or controls more than 22,000 megawatts (MW) of electric generating capacity worldwide. It deve-lops, constructs, owns and operates power plants. It is ranked among the Top Three owners of merchant generation and among the top 15 electricity producers in the United States.

Mirant began operations in 1982 as a subsidiary of Southern Company, a premier southeaster energy company which offered a broad range of utility-related consulting services to industrial countries and utilities worldwide. In 1992, Mirant bought out Southern company, began a balanced global energy business and making investments in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe, its vision being seeing the opportunity "to change the world with our energy." Its sources of power are coal, natural gas, and oil. In the Philippines its power plants are based in Sual, Navotas, Pagbilao, Bulacan, Bataan, Mindoro, Iligan and Toledo.

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Noteworthy is Mirant’s contribution to the electrification of the country’s barangays in partnership with the government’s Department of Energy, which launched the accelerated barangay electrification program, or the O-ILAW Program. The program’s objective is to ensure 85 percent energizing of all barangays in the country by June 2002, 95 percent by year 2004, and 100 percent by year 2006.

By end of the year, 2000, 8,348 out of the country’s total 41, 995 barangays or roughly 20 percent were without electricity. In the year 2000, 1,366 barangays were energized by government and private donors. From January to July 2001, 633 barangays were energized, bringing the energization level to 81.6 percent.

The fast rate of energizing barangays has been made possible by the cooperation between the government and private donors, or IPPs, among them Mirant Philippines, which energized 90 barangays in Quezon and Camarines Sur, 29 in Oriental Mindoro, and 24 in Occidental Mindoro. In September 2001, Mirant Philippines proposed Project BEACON in support of the government’s poverty reduction program through the O-ILAW 100 percent electrification program. Project BEACON is managed by Mirant Philippines Foundation, which aims to assist the Philippine government in ensuring that basic energy services are available to 100 percent of all the barangays by 2006. On the part of Migrant Foundation, it electrified 80 percent of a total of 1,000 barangays it committed to energize by last year. Energizing the 20 percent will only be a matter of time.

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Aside from its commitment to energizing 1,000 communities (thus spurring their economic activities), Mirant Philippines Foundation has spent 20 percent of its income on social projects. These include Project EXCEL (Excellence in Math, Science and Information Technology), which develops the curriculum and instruction of public science high schools, with particular emphasis on the use of information technology as a tool for teaching and as a means to create a globally competitive workforce.

There is also commitment to the ASEAN JAVA Competency Program which seeks to provide countries like the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, with consultancy services by giving students high-level training in information technology research and development.

Mention must be made to Mirant’s concern for the environment, expressed in such projects as the reforestation of upland and watershed areas, a marine ecosystem intervention, and establishment of an extraordinary marine sanctuary.

Mirant has received a number of awards, among them the Gold Quill Award in Corporate Social Responsibility for Project BEACON and environmental awards for its programs in communities around its power stations.

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On another front, the Anvil Award, which is considered the Oscar of Public Relations, will be presented to the most outstanding public relations program by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) during its 38th Anvil Awards "Gabi ng Parangal" to be held February 21 at the Hotel InterContinental Manila. The much-coveted award is given to a public relations program emphasizing corporate social responsibility, relevance to current issues/crisis, lasting impact, and effectiveness of implementation.

The Anvil Award maintains the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, its board of jurors made up of distinguished men and women from the government and private sectors, top caliber PR professionals, the target public, academe, and youth.

Winston Marbella has been reelected PRSP president for the year 2003-2004. Other officers elected were Cynthia J. Gruet of Corporate Directors and Jones T. Campos, APR, of Globe Telecom Inc., as internal and external vice-presidents, respectively. Other officers are Carmencita G. Arce, Rehnalita M. Manuel-Santana, Bernard G. Bagaman, Knette Fernando, Edgar U. Timbungo and Karen Villanueva. Gen. Honesto Isleta of the Filipino War Veterans Foundation is ex-oficio director.

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My e-mail address: dominimt2000@yahoo.com