Oil and gas companies have different focuses when it comes to CSR initiatives, but for the most part, they wish to contribute to empowering local people and improving their welfare.

Despite the sharp decline in global oil prices that have prompted oil and gas producers to slash their spending, major multinational companies operating in Indonesia have proceeded with their respective corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives as they want to empower local people.

'€œIt does affect our CSR budget, but only ever so slightly. As you know, our CSR budget for the whole year has been approved by the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas), so it has not affected our spending this year,'€ said ExxonMobil Indonesia in a statement.

ExxonMobil, which operates the Banyu Urip field in Bojonegoro through ExxonMobil Cepu Ltd., has deployed up to 9,000 workers to construct the field infrastructure, with more than half of them coming from the neighboring regencies of Bojonegoro and Tuban.

'€œBecause we are committed to being a good neighbor in wherever area we operate,'€ said the company'€™s public and government affairs vice president, Erwin Maryoto, in a recent interview, adding that the company was focusing on education, health and community development programs.

Pillars

It fits like a template that most major production sharing contractors (IPCs) in Indonesia focus on three, if not four main pillars, in their CSR programs, although the nature of their work is somewhat differ.

ConocoPhillips Indonesia, for example, has three main pillars comprising education, economic empowerment and public infrastructure, with the last pillar focusing on major construction in the surrounding areas of its operations in South Jambi and Anambas.

'€œWe constantly conduct social mapping and coordinate with local governments to ensure that all programs are in line with what the communities need to give the utmost benefit,'€ said ConocoPhillips CSR manager Adjie Suryaningrat.

Total E&P Indonesie'€™s main CSR activities are separated from its foundation, which focuses on the revival of significant cultural heritage.

Former Total Indonesia Foundation head Eddy Mulyadi, who retired at the end of last year, recalled the story of how the foundation came into being.

'€œAt first we wanted to make cultural preservation one of the CSR pillars, but the idea was debunked by former company CEO Elisabeth Proust, currently CEO of Total Upstream companies of Nigeria. But we knew France as the country that has the Louvre, with traditions rooted deep within their blood, and perhaps out of that accord she decided to establish the Total Indonesia Foundation to focus on the matter instead,'€ he said.

The foundation currently handles various cultural development programs, including single-handedly spearheading the research and preservation of the disappearing Dayak art of plaited basketry, sponsoring the nation'€™s largest annual traditional puppet festival Festival Wayang, releasing major publications on various cultural subjects and preserving the traditional Jepen dance of the Kutai Kartanegara through the Jepen Kutai Annual Dance Festival.

'€œIt'€™s a lot of work, but we have a higher cause,'€ foundation coordinator Damajanti Maja said, adding that Total E&P Indonesie also had another body tasked with producing low-cost solar-powered lamps for the masses.

Different

Different areas have different merits, and even though the idea is the same, which is to empower people with skills and equipment so that they can support themselves, the practice is somewhat different.

The rubber plantation is the most common project, with different companies focusing on certain farmer groups to cater to all aspects of the work. From seedlings, planting, cultivation and arranging the distribution of raw products, local residents with available land benefit significantly from the program, which is employed by Total E&P and ConocoPhillips.

The cattle breeding program is the next most common program. A number of people within a certain group are given a number of head of cattle to rear for a certain time before they have to hand them over to another group member. As the cows and bulls are fed and bred, each member is allowed to keep the calves produced under their watch.

But not all programs are the same.

In education, different companies take different approaches. Although no research has been conducted to measure the positive impacts, it is refreshing to see the creative efforts being taken to make education interesting.

ExxonMobil Cepu Ltd., for example, set up what it calls the Teachers'€™ Learning Center (PBG) in July 2014 to assists teachers of various educational levels in their work.

These include providing teaching seminars, scientific article competitions, introducing modern education techniques as well as linking them to various scholarships that will enhance their skills as teachers.

'€œFor us, the PBG program has given us the space to introduce a new way of teaching, help local educators be more innovative and creative in their methods, give them additional skills, so to speak, in delivering their knowledge to younger generations,'€ said Supriyanto, an expert participating in the PBG program as teacher to the teachers.

For ConocoPhillips, its breakthrough approach is the invention of Pustaka Hydron mobile libraries.

Established in 2011, current Pustaka Hydron travel around remote areas of Palmatak, Jembalang and Siantan subdistricts of Anambas every week, covering up to 30 schools and countless public areas with more than 5,000 titles in their arsenal.

The Hydron, a fleet of specifically modified boxcars painted red and white, have been seen crossing rivers, scaling steep hills and dashing down small roads throughout the Anambas Islands, their reward being the smiles of the children running toward them every time.

'€œI strongly believe that this company will leave a very good legacy everywhere we operate by having this harmony, this close relationship with the community. But most importantly, we help them, and they help us to be not only happy but successful as well,'€ said Adjie Suryaningrat.

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