Community engagement
and development
In the Philippines, our 81 MW North Luzon Renewables and 70 MW Capa Wind projects support
Indigenous Peoples, including members of the Yapayao tribe, through community development.
In the Philippines, our 81 MW North Luzon Renewables and 70 MW Capa Wind projects support Indigenous Peoples, including members of the Yapayao tribe, through community development.
We collaborate closely with our host communities to develop programs that create lasting shared value across project development and operations.
Meaningful community engagement begins at the earliest stages of project development. We engage stakeholders to understand their perspectives on potential risks, impacts, and mitigation measures, using culturally appropriate approaches such as consultations, public assemblies, focus group discussions, interviews, and surveys. We also promote open, two-way dialogue and maintain a clear grievance mechanism to ensure concerns are received, addressed, and resolved in a timely and transparent manner.
As part of our long-term commitment to community development, we work alongside communities to strengthen their economic, social, and environmental well-being, enabling them sustainable and independent growth. We conduct Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and prepare comprehensive Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) to identify and manage potential impacts, including involuntary resettlement or economic displacement.
Where physical displacement occurs, we provide fair compensation through property resettlement or cash payments at full replacement cost for affected land and assets. For projects near ancestral domains or Indigenous lands, we actively involve Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in assessments and consultations, ensuring compliance with regulations and advancing programs that reflect their priorities.
~₱213 million
Community investments
~300
Sustainability initiatives across Philippine and international sites
Our social program pillars







Together with BPI Foundation, Inc.’s FinEd Unboxed program, ACEN is helping Indigenous communities and leaders in Zambales build practical financial skills — from saving and investing to protecting against scams.
We invested a total of ~₱213 million in community programs, implementing ~300 initiatives across our project sites and benefiting ~66,300 individuals and ~19,600 families. These initiatives reflect our commitment to creating long-term shared value and ensuring that our presence contributes positively to the communities that host our operations. Across our sites, programs ranged from education support and infrastructure development to livelihood training and environmental stewardship activities carried out in partnership with local stakeholders.
We direct our resources toward initiatives that address the most pressing and relevant needs of our host communities. In the Philippines, we focused our efforts on education and community infrastructure as part of our commitment to building resilient and empowered host communities. Education-focused programs which include scholarship support, provision of learning materials, and improvements to classroom facilities help expand access to quality education in underserved communities. For community infrastructure-related investments, we enhanced public safety through initiatives such as the construction of evacuation centers and the installation of solar-powered streetlights in project host barangays.
In Australia, programs mainly fall under the pillars of health and wellness and community infrastructure, reflecting priorities identified through close engagement with local councils and community groups. We supported local health and well-being initiatives, community events, and improvements to shared community facilities, helping strengthen social cohesion and enhance access to services in New South Wales.
For our other international sites, most investments are directed toward livelihood creation and education to support local economic participation and capacity building. Programs include skills training, community enterprise support, and capacity-building activities that enable residents to develop sustainable income opportunities while strengthening local capabilities.
Using insights from our 2025 data, we aim to further refine our site-level monitoring systems to better track the effectiveness and reach of our programs. We will roll out Social Progress Index (SPI)-aligned measurement across our community initiatives to support the shift toward outcomes-based planning and measurement, ensuring our investments continue to directly support community well-being and long-term resilience.
Community investment in 2025
Note: Excludes funds invested for community programs in compliance to the Department of Energy’s Energy Regulation Program No. 1-94 (ER 1-94) amounting to ~₱59 million.
Institutionalizing the Social Progress Index (SPI) framework
We continue to adopt the SPI to plan, measure, and manage social outcomes, enabling us to shift focus from activity counts to evidence of improvement in our host communities. The SPI is a comprehensive framework that measures the well-being of a society by focusing exclusively on social and environmental outcomes. It utilizes a 0-100 scale to determine a “Distance to Frontier,” where 100 represents the best possible outcome currently achieved.
Our SPI journey is deliberately iterative— we refine plans and metrics as we learn across sites, prioritizing quality over speed to support long-term, systemic impact. To adopt the SPI framework, we have partnered with RiShift, a consultancy firm focusing on corporate sustainability and social impact.
While our social program pillars define where we invest, the SPI provides the instrumentation to measure how those investments move the needle on community well-being.
The SPI is structured around three primary dimensions, each composed of four specific components:
Our SPI adoption journey
2024
2023
2025
2026-onwards

In 2025, Alaminos Solar involved local communities in tree planting and maintenance, achieving a 90 percent tree survival rate at its adopted 37-hectare National Greening Program (NGP) site in Siniloan, Laguna.
Livelihood creation
We believe strong communities are built on meaningful, dignified work that provides stability and hope for the future. Through our livelihood programs, we help create tangible pathways to opportunity.
Integrated into our renewable energy projects, these initiatives generate green jobs and broaden opportunities for households to build secure futures. This directly advances the SPI dimension on Opportunity, supporting greater personal freedom & choice within our host communities.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Opportunity |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Personal Freedom & Choice |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
1, 5, 8, 19, 17 |
Investments
₱10 million
Beneficiaries
1,300 individuals
230 families
Global contributions
Our livelihood efforts across our other markets focus on strengthening community enterprises and broadening income opportunities to enhance economic participation in rural areas.

Through ACEN Australia’s Social Investment Program, we co-invested in establishing a permanent Lifeline Mental Health and Crisis Support Hub in Mudgee. This includes training and accreditation of five local volunteers to deliver 24/7 crisis counseling, trauma support groups, and rural outreach, as well as mental health first aid training for free in regional communities.
|
Country |
Focus of livelihood programs |
|---|---|
|
Philippines |
Community enterprise development and agroforestry initiatives that strengthen rural income opportunities and sustainable land use. |
|
Vietnam |
Coffee farming support and agricultural training to improve farmer productivity and sustainable income generation. |
|
Indonesia |
Freshwater fisheries development and small-business support. |
|
Australia |
Community enterprise initiatives supporting cultural programs and sports development that sustain local engagement and skills. |
|
Lao PDR |
Specialty coffee cultivation and value-chain development complemented by agricultural diversification and livelihood restoration programs. |
Philippines initiatives:
Our livelihood initiatives in the Philippines promote economic stability by supporting local enterprises and community-based industries.

Our pasalubong center at Guimaras Wind continues to create livelihood for residents of San Lorenzo town.
Together, these programs expand the economic choices available to households, advancing the SPI component Personal Freedom and Choice. We engage local communities in reforestation efforts to create livelihood opportunities while promoting ecological stewardship.

From harvest to high-value products: Empowering farmers in Ilocos Norte
What began as a training and capacity-building program with contract farming has evolved into a higher-value pathway for Certificate of Stewardship Contract or CSC-holder farmers in Ilocos Norte.
Through ACEN’s Agro-Circularity in Renewable Energy (ACRE) program, in partnership with SukiGrocer (formerly SariSuki), farmers improved agronomic practices, secured buyers for fresh produce, and then progressed to post- harvest processing with Salbahe Chili, a premium manufacturer of chili products.
By transforming chili harvests into bottled products, farmers boosted the value of their produce by nearly 40x compared with selling raw, enabling reinvestment in the next planting cycle and setting the stage for cooperative formation and direct processor engagement.
Empowering farmers in Dak Cheung Village in Lao PDR
The Monsoon Wind Coffee Ring Project is building future-ready livelihoods in the Lao PDR by transitioning local farmers from basic agricultural production to the cultivation of higher-value specialty coffee.
Through comprehensive training led by coffee experts, farmers have mastered improved seedling care, harvesting, and post-harvest processing. This capacity-building has empowered project-area farmers to achieve a remarkable specialty-grade score of 86.26 and secure 9th place at the 2025 Laos Green Bean Competition.
Driven by the distribution of one million seedlings, the program is on track to engage 250 families and protect 300 hectares of forest from slash-and-burn agriculture by 2028. By enhancing crop quality and securing better market access, farmers capture greater economic value, expanding personal freedom and choice.

Community infrastructure
As we expand our renewable energy portfolio, we integrate infrastructure planning that brings direct, lasting benefits to host communities—from safer roads and improved lighting to health and sanitation facilities. These investments strengthen daily living conditions and emergency readiness, contributing to the SPI’s Basic Needs dimension by supporting access to shelter, water, and essential community services.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Basic needs |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Shelter, water & Sanitation |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
7, 9, 11, 13, 17 |
Investments
₱16 million
Beneficiaries
6,640 individuals
3,600 families
Philippines initiatives:
Our livelihood initiatives in the Philippines promote economic stability by supporting local enterprises and community-based industries.
Global contributions
We invested in infrastructure that improves basic living conditions for vulnerable households.

Uplifting IP communities through renewable energy
What was once a landscape shaped by lahar due to the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption is now a beacon of progress. At our 585 MW SanMar Solar project in Zambales, ACEN’s social initiatives show how renewable energy can power more than electricity—it can drive meaningful community transformation. From building access roads and bridges to creating green jobs, providing economic opportunities for IP communities, the project is helping turn a disaster-scarred area into a hub for clean energy and inclusive growth.
These efforts have been recognized at the inaugural Philippine Daily Inquirer ESG Impact Awards 2025, where we received the Gold Award for Social Initiatives under the “Relations with Local Communities” category for publicly listed and large companies. We were also named Grand Prize winner for Most Outstanding ESG Initiative among publicly listed companies. Competing at the regional level, we also earned the Bronze Award at the 1st Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards in Malaysia.
These recognitions affirm our commitment to leading the energy transition in a way that uplifts communities, proving that when clean energy projects are developed responsibly, progress and positive impact go hand in hand.
Education
We believe in the transformative power of education to break cycles of poverty and inequality. Our investments focus not only on increasing access, but also on strengthening long-term learning outcomes by equipping students and teachers with the skills and tools they need to thrive. These efforts directly advance the SPI component on Access to Basic Knowledge, supporting more inclusive and resilient learning environments in our host communities.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Foundations of Well-being |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Access to Basic Knowledge |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
4, 5, 8, 10, 17 |
Investments
₱15 million
Beneficiaries
12,300 individuals
1,580 families
Philippines initiatives:
We contribute to creating learning environments that strengthen early and basic education.
We equip communities with foundational financial knowledge and practical life skills that support long-term learning and economic decision-making.
Global contributions
Our initiatives are anchored on enhancing access to education and resources to strengthen regional learning opportunities.
We continue to invest in programs that help learners overcome barriers to education.

ACEN Australia was a Platinum Sponsor of the Country Universities Centre (CUC) Mudgee Region, designed to provide educational facilities specifically tailored for regional students.

Advancing inclusive learning through CENTEX Digital
Ten public elementary schools in San Marcelino, Zambales—home to our 585 MW SanMar Solar—are advancing digital learning through the CENTEX Digital Education – High Touch, High Tech (HTHT) program, which equips teachers and classrooms with technology-enabled learning tools. Implemented through a collaboration among ACEN, Ayala Foundation, Department of Education (DepEd) Zambales, the Local Government of San Marcelino, Huawei, the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, and the Education Development Center, the initiative strengthens the use of technology to support teaching and learning. The program provides teacher training, mentoring, and access to Khan Academy Philippines, enabling interactive, data-driven learning aligned with the DepEd curriculum.
An independent study found student scores doubled in 12 weeks—from 27 percent to 56 percent, equivalent to nearly four months of additional learning. The program has benefited more than 1,600 learners, demonstrating how technology-enabled instruction can significantly improve learning outcomes in public schools.
Empowering
Indigenous Peoples
We believe the energy transition must protect and empower Indigenous Peoples. Across our project areas, we work in close partnership with Indigenous communities to ensure our developments strengthen, protect, and create opportunity rather than displace. By upholding their rights, honoring cultural heritage, and supporting access to essential services and sustainable livelihoods, we aim to foster progress rooted in respect, dignity, and self-determination. Through these, we advance the SPI components on Inclusiveness and Personal Rights, fostering an environment where Indigenous communities can thrive as active partners in the energy transition.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Opportunity |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Inclusiveness, Personal Rights |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 16, 17 |
Investments
₱8 million
Beneficiaries
80 individuals
800 families
Philippines initiatives:
We equip Indigenous leaders with practical financial skills to promote economic autonomy and informed choice.
We also expand access to education and essential support for Indigenous communities.
Global contributions
We continue to strengthen Indigenous partnerships, promoting First Nations culture and heritage in our projects.

To embed Indigenous participation across our business, ACEN Australia launched its inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), developed with Reconciliation Australia.
We strengthened Indigenous economic participation through enterprise development, capability building and inclusive procurement.
Enhancing education and well-being in Indigenous Communities in Roebourne
In Australia, Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation
(YEC) supports key community-led initiatives delivered through the Gurlu Gurlu Maya Child and Parent Centre in Roebourne, an organization dedicated to early childhood education, family support, and overall wellbeing for children aged 0 to 8.
As part of this partnership, YEC is supporting the expansion of the Centre’s educational
take-home support packs, enabling continued learning and connection within the home. First developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, these packs continue to play an important role in fostering learning, family connection, and early development within the home.
YEC also contributes to culturally safe counselling services for families navigating trauma and alcohol or drug-related challenges. By reducing stigma, enhancing emotional well-being, and strengthening family relationships, these initiatives provide integrated and compassionate support.
Together, these initiatives reflect a shared commitment to supporting strong, connected families and contributing to positive outcomes for children and caregivers in the local community.

YEC employees with representatives from Gurlu Gurlu Maya
Health and wellness
Healthy communities are the foundation of lasting progress. Through partnerships with local government units, health organizations, and private sector partners, we work to bring essential healthcare services closer to our host communities. Our programs promote preventive care, support long-term wellness, and strengthen access to health services for individuals and families.
These initiatives serve diverse groups within our host communities, including children, youth, women, and senior citizens, helping ensure that people of all ages have the opportunity to live healthier, more active lives.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Basic Needs |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Nutrition, |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
2, 3 |
Investments
₱9 million
Beneficiaries
4,330 individuals
2,420 families
Philippines initiatives:
Across the country, we extend health services to strengthen community well-being.
We also strengthen systems that support long-term health and community resilience.
Global contributions
We support nutrition, community health, and essential services across our international project sites.
Bringing essential healthcare closer to communities
Through our partnership with AC Health’s Healthway Medical Network and Generika Drugstore, we supported farmers and fisherfolks in Paete, Laguna by providing accessible, quality healthcare services.
Over 120 community members received medical consultations, basic diagnostics and free starter medicines, along with health education sessions that emphasized preventive care and long-term wellness.
By bridging gaps in healthcare access —especially for those whose livelihoods sustain local food security—this initiative strengthens community well-being and reinforces our commitment to building healthier, more resilient communities
for the future.

Climate change & emergency responses
The Philippines, our home market, is among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This reality reinforces our commitment to disaster resilience and environmental stewardship. Beyond advancing sustainability, we equip communities with the skills, resources, and infrastructure to withstand and recover from climate-related emergencies.
|
Alignment to SPI |
Foundations |
|---|---|
|
Primary SPI component impacted |
Environmental Quality |
|
Contributions to UN SDGs |
11, 13, 17 |
Investments
₱3 million
Beneficiaries
16,600 individuals
5,800 families
Philippines initiatives:
We strengthen community readiness through training, early-warning support, and emergency response assistance.
We also support emergency facilities and community safety infrastructure.

ACEN RES, in partnership with its retail customers and Ayala Foundation, Inc., extended essential aid to 200 families in Tabuelan, Cebu,
after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in 2025 through #BrigadangAyala.

Strengthening community resilience amid back-to-back typhoons
In late 2025, the back-to-back landfall and impact of Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan put many of our host communities across Negros and Zambales to the test. Together with Ayala Foundation, we mobilized immediate bayanihan support by delivering food packs, drinking water, hygiene supplies, and other essentials to thousands of displaced families. Our teams supported evacuation centers, aided transport of relief goods, and helped restore access to critical needs in hard-hit areas such as Bais City, Guihulngan, and San Carlos City.
Each response strengthened our coordination with LGUs and deepened our partnerships with local responders, enabling faster recovery and stronger preparedness for future natural disasters. Our disaster response supports the
SPI dimension Environmental Quality, helping communities become more disaster-resilient.

