First Gen building solar facility for Cebu’s Oakridge Business Park

March 3, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Lopez-led First Gen Corp. is putting up a rooftop solar facility to energize Oakridge Business Park, a four-hectare mixed-use property in Mandaue City, Cebu.

Oakridge Realty Development Corp. (ORDC), the developer of the business park, has tapped First Gen to install a 638-kilowatt-peak solar power system atop its flagship development project.

This makes Oakridge Business Park the first mixed-use development in Cebu to be entirely powered by renewable energy (RE), according to First Gen.

“Since we started Oakridge Business Park in 2009, we have gradually made it part of our mission to push for sustainable solutions to help the environment,” ORDC president Anne Liu said.

Besides this initiative, the business park was said to have also installed charging hubs for electric vehicles and solar-powered charging stations for mobile devices.

“We would like to believe that the impact of our initiatives has not only led to an improved carbon footprint but has also significantly influenced the lifestyle and, more importantly, has instilled a more conscious mindset in the communities we serve,” Liu said.

This latest deal strengthens the growing partnership between the two companies, which began in 2021 when ORDC tapped First Gen to supply the business park with power from natural gas.

ORDC signed another supply contract with First Gen in 2023, transitioning the business park’s power requirements to geothermal energy.

“It is always a privilege to collaborate with companies who share a concern for the environment and want to do more to reduce their carbon footprint,” First Gen chief engagement officer Carlo Vega said.

“We are committed to supporting the Oakridge team as they implement more energy solutions and further reduce the environmental impact of their property developments,” Vega added.

Under this renewed supply deal, First Gen and its sister company, Pi Energy Inc., will also provide the business park with a remote energy monitoring system for real-time electricity usage tracking.

ORDC is the real estate arm of LH Paragon Group Inc., a Cebu-based diversified holding company with domestic and overseas business operations.

The group’s investments include Golden ABC Inc., the company behind fashion brands Penshoppe, OXGN, ForMe, Memo, Regatta and Bocu.

First Gen, on the other hand, boasts a power generation capacity of 3,668 megawatts coming from 32 renewables and natural gas-fired power plants.