By: Indra Sari Wardhani

Communities, especially those living around geothermal working areas, have a very important role in sustainable geothermal development. Learning from EDC's experience, when it first developed a geothermal power plant in Mount Apo in 1989 - 1991, EDC experienced rejection and conflict with the surrounding community. The community was concerned that geothermal development would impact their ancestral Manobo-Apao customary land in Mount Apo. In addition, there was also concern that the geothermal working area was in danger of extinction.

At that time, EDC responded to the concerns and turmoil in the community by conducting a baseline study to identify environmental and community conditions and potential impacts of geothermal utilization. They also held 28 dialogues with the community and relevant stakeholders attended by 4000 people and 71 stakeholder groups ranging from the Government, business legislators, academics, NGOs, religious leaders and indigenous peoples. They even went through a process of local traditional rituals to ask permission from the gods that the local people believe in. Until finally after 2 years of the process, there was a signing of a multi-stakeholder agreement led by then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos where all activities carried out in Mount Apo must preserve the environment and community development.

Since then, there are 3 important principles applied by EDC in geothermal development, namely:

1. Free prior informed consent or the community has the right to give or withhold consent to proposed projects affecting their land.
2. Geothermal development in Mount Apo can proceed because there is a joint commitment of all parties to protect the Mount Apo area.
3. Indigenous people have the right to benefit from geothermal development in Mount Apo.

To date, the Mount Apo geothermal plant has been operating for more than 20 years. The surrounding communities benefit from geothermal development such as increased education and health opportunities, housing and employment, infrastructure development such as roads and access to electricity. People who live within a 10 KM radius of the PLTP, get electricity for free.

While meeting with the Mount Apo indigenous community, participants had the opportunity to visit the hot spring tourism site. The bathhouse was developed in 2003 and is managed by the local community. Revenues from the baths can reach up to IDR 500 million per year, the profits of which are then returned to the community through the provision of educational scholarship programs.

Uniquely, the Mount Apo indigenous community established a non-profit organization called the Mount Apo Foundation (MAFI), which emerged as a platform to increase community empowerment and independence as well as preserve the environment and culture around Mount Apo. MAFI's main source of funding comes from the Environmental Tribal Welfare Trust Fund (ETWTF), which is a fund allocated from the electricity produced by EDC's Mount Apo Power Plant at USD 1 cent/KWh. In addition, funding is also obtained from EDC grants, as well as donations from other parties.

The funds obtained are used to run MAFI's 4 program areas, namely:

• Educational Development Program (EDP), related to providing scholarships and higher education opportunities
• Community Assistant Program (CAP), providing assistance to communities regarding health issues, infrastructure development and community economic activities
• Tribal Capability Program (TCP), which supports the initiatives of indigenous peoples or tribes to get opportunities to improve their education, as well as their socio-cultural life
• Environmental Consciousness Program (ECP) to increase the community's participation and desire to preserve and protect Mount Apo National Park

.

Gifts for Indonesia

The Philippines' experience in developing geothermal is a very valuable gift for Indonesia. The Philippines succeeded in developing geothermal energy and it is even seen as a national interest that must be prioritized. It was not without obstacles that the Philippines developed geothermal, but good communication with all stakeholders and joint commitment was the starting point for them to finally overcome all these problems and challenges. The efforts made by the Philippines to synergize forest sustainability, community interests and energy needs can be a good example for Indonesia.