“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co. (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD) rekindled the minds of their selected academic scholars as they held a two-day Scholar’s Development Convergence last October 10 and 11, 2023, at Mt. Tarak Guesthouse and Restaurant, Mariveles, Bataan. Out of over 500 scholarship applications, only 45 made it to the cut, making them the Chosen Few among the Unchosen Many.
Anchored by the theme “Build the Future Today”, the Convergence utilized training and activities focusing on self-awareness, community engagement, and team building. The scholars were divided into groups and introduced to different games such as Up, Down, Shake, Pump and Spaghetti and Macaroni Game, allowing them to socialize, build camaraderie among their newly found acquaintances, and enhance community awareness.
The scholars were also tasked to create project proposals for their chosen beneficiaries, which will be implemented by GMEC and GNPD. Two proposals were chosen and were allocated with a budget of Php 50,000.
Moreover, the participants were enticed by the life learnings and inspirational messages delivered by the guest speakers during the Kwentuhan Session, which taught them about staying brave amidst the hurdles of life, chasing growth while pursuing their passion, and finding their purpose. The guest speakers were Arcel Madrid, AVP for Community Relations of GMEC-GNPD, Clarissa Bambo, Stakeholder & Public Relations Supervisor of GMEC-GNPD, Gab Bautista, Education Advocate and Leader, and Ruslan Kulikov, PTV 4 Anchor and Mental Health Advocate.
The 2023 Scholar’s Development Convergence is a flagship program under the recently launched Corporate Social Responsibility Branding of GMEC-GNPD, falling under HUSAY, which features programs aimed at achieving excellence by elevating educational opportunities for the community. It also realizes the letter E in our CSR P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S. Roadmap, which stands for Elevate Educational Opportunities. Those #HUSAY scholars will receive up to Php 60,000 per year as allowance, and up to Php 30,000 financial aid for their board examinations.
As the home to the largest coal-fired power plants in the country, GMEC and GNPD are committed to not only delivering reliable and affordable energy solutions to Filipinos but also empowering progress through social programs like this academic scholarship.