Thoughts on the Philippines

Hi everyone! My last post about the Philippines was sort of just a relaying of details, but I didn't do much reflection or explaining about the geothermal industry there, so I'll try to convey some of my more thoughtful observations in this post.

The geothermal industry in the Philippines is somewhat similar to what happened in Iceland and Japan, where the real explosion of industry was catalyzed by the oil crisis in the 70's. It started off almost entirely in government control, and has slowly been privatized, with the Philippine National Oil Company's subsidiary, the Energy Development Corporation spin-off being the huge chunk. EDC has since further acquired previously government-owned power plants and incorporated them through a subsidiary company called Green Core. The case of the Philippines was interesting in that the steam fields and generation facilities were originally conducted rather separately, and even now, are owned handled separately, the production fields being operated by EDC and the power plants being operated by Green Core. This is quite different that what I've seen thus far, as most of the other companies have been vertically integrated from sub-surface to generation.

One of the most fascinating and perhaps spectacular things about the Philippine program is the social development and outreach that EDC has undertaken. Even before government regulations mandated social responsibility programs, EDC has been committed to using geothermal energy for sustainable community development. Not only does construction provide employment opportunities for local laborers, it has also brought road construction, EDC-assisted schools, and community resources--like better health care access, community buildings, etc. Additionally welfare programs that focus of the lives of community members has combined reforestation and agricultural farming efforts to better both the environment as well as the lives of local residents.

My time in the Philippines was certainly an encouragement to me, as it convinced me that geothermal industry can be promoted in a way that can enhance the welfare of the community as well as the environment. Truly development of the industry can positively impact social development, which will be key in transferring geothermal to the developing world. That said, on a personal level, visiting the Philippines was my first encounter with the "developing" world. I'm so glad that I was able to visit the two sites, which were both located in rural areas, as this allowed me to see the truly "developing" part of the Philippines. Manila, and even the other cities which I visited, were certainly more familiar than I expected. It was of course strange to see the insane traffic patterns due to overcrowding. Lane lines and general traffic regulations appeared to be little more than suggestions, and people literally walk into streets with little regard for their own well-being. If someone told me that the leading cause of death in the Philippines was traffic-related incidents, I wouldn't hesitate to believe it for a moment (although to be fair, in my nearly two weeks there I never saw one). The vespas, pedicabs, and bicycles that weave in and out of traffic nearly gave me a heart-attack a day.

When I first arrived in Manila, I thought, "Wow, so this is what "developing" is like." But going out to the rural areas, I realized that I was severely mistaken. People literally live in huts that look like they're made of banana and palm leaves. At night the air was hazy from people lighting fires, kids and teens hung around on bridges and clustered around little mom and pop shops that are every couple houses. People with ox, cows, horses, and goats walk along the side of the road on their way to work. Kids that looked barely 9 years old drove bicycle pedicabs for a living. Yet I was shocked to see cell phone minute signs up on tons of little stores, and, even more shocking, I could see TVs inside the huts from the road as we passed by. It was a strange thing to see. People that live in shacks but have TVs, kids that ride pedicabs for a living but have cell phones.

Having just finished reading "Too Big to Fail," a novel by The New York Times' columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin (which I highly recommend), on the events of the financial crisis, it seems absolutely insane to me that there are people who live million dollar lifestyles while there are people living steeped in poverty. If you took half of the salary of one top Wall Street executive, you could probably feed the entire rural population of Dumaguete for a week (especially since food in the Philippines is insanely cheap comparatively). The world is so lop-sided that I can barely even grasp the concept. It was entirely disheartening. My first experience with a developing nation, even one that is considered quite developed by comparative standards, delivered a rather devastating realization of what developing really means. I don't mean to look down upon the lifestyle in those communities at all, but I, in my own spoiled and luxurious life, realized just how far our world has to go.

Apologies if this entry seemed overly reflective. As the end of my time abroad quickly approaches, I have become quite introspective, often choosing to sit and read or people watch in parks instead of doing tons of sight-seeing. Since I am coming to the end of my trip, my last few entries will probably be a bit more thoughtful. Hopefully in reflecting I can properly sort out this incredible experience and what I have gained, both for my project, and for myself.