Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition
AID Foundation strongly supports the coalition in its struggle not to allow the PNOC-EDC to carry out any exploration for geothermal inside the bufferzone of the Kanlaon National Park. For AID Foundation the entry is not a matter of legal or not but is in the first place a moral issue. The last remaining forest should not be touched, we already have so little left ! On the other hand AID Foundation really regret that the discussion and debate is not really an intelligent one. It is made to appear to us that the only viable solution to their so called energy shortage is geothermal, while we as an organization involved in renewable energies have the knowledge that there are several more sustainable renewable solutions.
Also their first project (in the neighborhood) was a failure in terms of the promised output and as admitted by the PNOC-EDC mineral clogging is a problem, so why should we allow these people to gamble with our dwindling natural environment.
Technopark
The long awaited Techno Park is in it’s finishing stage. In fact the opening of the park is planned on November 8, 2008.
The Park is now fenced with perimeter lights and barbed wire since we have been visited another time by thieves who are out on anything made from steel. Also the hydro power corner and the hydraulic ram pump are now equipped with submersible pumps. The piggery has now fifteen (mostly native) pigs. The cascading aging ponds are already filling up and soon we can start practicing the recycling of this mineral water to the pigs. The vermi-culture is in full operation and also the nursery with endemic species of trees is well maintained.
The windmill is mechanically functional but we were not able to find the right electrical components here in the Philippines, so this part is still pending.
The Techno Park has hired a full time staff, Rey Claudian, who is capable of running the Park in terms of maintenance and also in terms of receiving and guiding visitors. Visitors will be charged P 25.- for adults and P 20.- for students. These fees are used for the maintenance cost.
Organizational Developments
Our director resigned (since August 10) and moved on to another job. This was a good time for reflection on the organizational set up, the implementation of the programs and the direction. It was decided to run the organization temporary through the management committee till the time that a capable director surfaces. The Community Development and Enterprise Department was assigned a new head, who has a long history in community organizing. One of the other important findings was the lack of stress on the community organizing aspect in the technical projects. Technically AID can do a lot of things but technologies and projects will only be sustainable if these are carried and owned by the communities.
