NGCP’s Balik Eskwela project benefits more than 200 schools

MANILA, Philippines - For the second consecutive year, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) distributed school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, and school bags to underprivileged elementary students across the country.

The nationwide “Balik Eskwela” program aims to equip students from public elementary schools with adequate writing implements. Each school bag contains 10 notebooks and pencils.

“For this year, 275 schools and 83,650 students benefited from our Balik Eskwela project. We intend to increase the coverage of our Balik Eskwela areas every year as we simultaneously coordinate with school officials for other forms of assistance for their institutions,” said Nelson Cabangon, NGCP head of corporate affairs.

This corporate-wide effort involves distributing school supplies to schools in far-flung barangays as far north as Isabela and as far south as Lanao del Norte. NGCP pays particular attention to communities hosting its transmission facilities, which it considers key partners in safeguarding and protecting its transmission lines and facilities.

“Most of the beneficiaries of our projects are our host communities to ensure the economic and social development of our partners. Aside from the distribution of school bags, we also turned over classrooms and sanitation facilities, all in support of our school children,” Cabangon said.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets.

As a corporation with a public service orientation, NGCP partners with relevant institutions to support the communities hosting its transmission facilities, which it considers as partners in nation-building.