Anak perusahaan AboitizPower, Hedcor, memperkuat komitmennya terhadap pertumbuhan inklusif dengan terus menyediakan peluang ekonomi yang berkelanjutan bagi masyarakat setempat.

Hedcor, bekerja sama dengan Aboitiz Foundation, unit bisnis makanan Aboitiz, Pilmico Foods Corporation, Benguet Technical School, dan Otoritas Pengembangan Keterampilan dan Pendidikan Teknis (TESDA) Benguet, baru-baru ini mengadakan Pelatihan Sertifikasi Nasional (NC) II tentang Produksi Roti dan Kue Kering, yang diikuti oleh 25 anggota koperasi mitranya di La Trinidad dan Tuba, Benguet.

"Kami berterima kasih kepada Aboitiz Group atas bantuan yang diberikan kepada kami. Kami benar-benar belajar banyak selama sesi pelatihan. Tantangan besar bagi kami sekarang adalah menerapkan pembelajaran ini sehingga kami dapat melayani koperasi kami dan masyarakat," kata Felina Mercoles, manajer Koperasi Serba Usaha Barangay Alapang (BALMUCO), salah satu koperasi penerima manfaat.

BALMUCO, Koperasi Serba Usaha Thanksgiving, dan Koperasi Serba Usaha Lamut diberikan starter kit pembuatan roti setelah para anggotanya lulus pelatihan sertifikasi yang diadakan oleh Benguet Technical School.

Peralatan yang diberikan antara lain oven, meja kerja stainless, rak roti, penggulung adonan, dan etalase roti. Dengan peralatan dan aksesoris pembuatan roti ini, koperasi mitra Hedcor akan segera membuka toko roti di komunitas mereka sendiri. Ke depannya, Hedcor juga akan menyediakan peralatan untuk membuat roti bagi Asosiasi Wanita Bineng.

Selain pelatihan produksi roti dan kue, 18 anggota koperasi lainnya diberikan perlengkapan menjahit setelah lulus pelatihan NC II tentang Dressmaking.

Inisiatif Hedcor untuk koperasi di Benguet ini selaras dengan program mata pencaharian Pemerintah Provinsi Benguet, khususnya Program Bantuan Pinjaman Mata Pencaharian, yang bertujuan untuk memberikan peluang pendapatan tambahan kepada lebih banyak masyarakat dan pengusaha pemula di provinsi tersebut.

Hedcor adalah anak perusahaan pembangkit listrik tenaga air dari AboitizPower, yang mengoperasikan 21 fasilitas pembangkit listrik di negara ini dengan total kapasitas 245 megawatt.

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

How does the combination of NC II certification with equipment donation create stronger outcomes?
A bakery starter kit without training produces limited outcomes — and training without equipment leaves graduates without a vehicle to apply what they have learned. The NC II certification provides formal skills validation that gives cooperative members professional credibility and establishes a quality standard for their products. The equipment enables immediate business launch. The combination produces graduates who are both certified and capitalized — a far more durable foundation for long-term business success than either intervention alone would achieve.

Who is Hedcor and how does it relate to the Aboitiz Group?
Hedcor is the run-of-river hydropower arm of AboitizPower — the energy subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group — operating 21 power facilities nationwide with a total rated capacity of 245 megawatts at the time of this report. As an AboitizPower subsidiary, Hedcor operates within Aboitiz Group communities in the Cordillera region, including La Trinidad and Tuba in Benguet. Its involvement in livelihood programs reflects the Aboitiz Group’s policy of requiring subsidiaries to create sustainable economic opportunities in their host communities.

What training was conducted for Benguet cooperative members and what did they receive?
Pilmico, in partnership with Hedcor, Aboitiz Foundation, Benguet Technical School, and TESDA Benguet, conducted a National Certification (NC) II Training on Bread and Pastry Production with 25 participants from Hedcor’s partner cooperatives in La Trinidad and Tuba. Three cooperatives — Barangay Alapang Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BALMUCO), Thanksgiving Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Lamut Multi-Purpose Cooperative — received complete bakery starter kits after their members passed the certification training. A fourth organization, the Bineng Women’s Association, was also committed to receive bakery starter kits going forward.

What equipment was included in the bakery starter kits provided to Benguet cooperatives?
The bakery starter kits included ovens, stainless working tables, bread racks, dough rollers, and bread showcases — the full suite of equipment needed to open and operate a functional retail bakeshop. This comprehensive kit provision is significant: rather than providing partial equipment that requires additional investment before a business can operate, Pilmico and its partners provided everything needed for immediate launch, reducing the barrier between training completion and business opening.

How does this initiative align with the Benguet provincial government’s own programs?
The Hedcor-Pilmico livelihood initiatives for Benguet cooperatives are directly aligned with the Provincial Government of Benguet’s Livelihood Loan Assistance Program, which aims to provide additional income opportunities to communities and budding entrepreneurs across the province. Alignment with the provincial government’s existing program framework means the initiative reinforces and amplifies an ongoing government effort rather than operating in parallel to it — maximizing complementarity between public and private sector livelihood support.