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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/first-ph-geothermal.webp" alt="Philippines first geothermal power generation" />
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(The Philippines' first geothermal power generation in Cale, Tiwi, Albay)
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Steam from about an inch and a half hole drilled to a depth of 400 feet into the ground, powered a 2.5-KW turbo generator which produced electricity, a milestone in the country's quest for energy self-sufficiency.
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The Alcaraz team was part of an effort of the then Commission of Vocanology that was earlier tasked to study the geothermal activity at a number of locations in the country.  
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In 1971, the Philippine National Power Corporation and the National Oil Company of California signed a contract for the development of the Tiwi and Makiling-Banahaw (Makban) sites.  The Tiwi site begun commercial generation in 1979 with 275 megawatts of total installed generating capacity.
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The Philippine Government also entered into bilateral energy cooperation with New Zealand Government that led to the commencement of exploratory drilling at Tongonan in western Leyte and Palinpinon in Negros Occidental in 1973.  By 1977, a 1.5-MW pilot plant in Palinpinon was put up, this was the beginning of commercial geothermal power generation in the country.  From Tongonan and Palinpinon, this synergy was brought to a higher level with the collaboration on the unified Leyte project. The 700-MW steamfield was conceptualized, bidded out, constructed and commissioned in a remarkably short time frame of only three years.
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Today, the Philippines is one of the world's leaders in geothermal energy generation with generating fields in all 3 major island groups.  In 2015, the total geothermal generating capacity of the Philippines was 1870-MW (down from 1969.7-MW in 2007 due to decommisioned sites), second only to the United States of America which has a total capacity of 3450-MW.  
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Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable, more efficient, and more cost-effective than burning fossil fuels.
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<b>Sources:</b>
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Birthing Geothermal Power in the Philippines, The New Zealand Legacy
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<li>
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (http://www.jogmec.go.jp/)
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<li>
Wikipedia
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Photo credit:  Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
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</ol>
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April 12, 1967: an electric bulb was lit up by Philippines first geothermal energy electric generator