One Meralco installs solar energy system in public school

MANILA, Philippines - A year after the One Meralco Foundation, Inc. (OMF) installed solar photovoltaic systems that turns the sun’s energy into precious electricity at the Cabul-an National High School (CNHS), teachers have been able to power their laptop computers enabling them to use information communications technology (ICT) tools to teach their students, and also provide ICT education to the islands’ school children.

The clean, free and renewable electricity available in the school has also become an added incentive for students to go to, and stay, in school since it is a place where they can also charge their cellphones while pursuing their education.

For the OMF, another value added by the electrification to the CNHS is that it has also become a revenue generator for the school’s parent-teacher-community association (PTCA).

It was learned that the PTCA has decided to allow islanders to charge their cellular phones and smartphones at the school for a fee, with the funds generated then used to maintain the solar photovoltaic systems, and the other proceeds funding selected school programs.

“I feel very proud of them. This is something we never expected, it’s not something we demanded from them,” Jeffrey Ochoa Tarayao, One Meralco Foundation, Inc., president, and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) chief corporate social responsibility officer, said.

“We want to share their story, we want others (OMF SEP beneficiaries) to follow,” Tarayao added.

OMF compeleted the installation of the solar photovoltaic systems, and turned on the power at the CNHS, last November 18, 2013.

Joelita Cantoria, CNHS principal, said that the solar power allows them to power 8 light bulbs, and electric fans in all 8 classrooms in the school, which serves the high school going children of the island’s two barangays -East Cabul-an and West Cabul-an.