Vivant Foundation Inc. (VFI) in collaboration with the Department of Education, Dr. Victoria V. Gazo (Schools Division Superintendent), Mr. Rolando A. Acoriba Jr. (Public Schools District Supervisor), Ms. Charito Agsalud (Principal of Gamot Integrated School), and Municipality of Quezon LGUs Hon. Pablo Lorenzo III (Municipal Mayor of Quezon), Hon. Ferdinand Silvestre (Brgy. Captain of Sta. Felomina) and Hon. Eric Pangcat (Brgy. Councilor) at the Solar Electrification Project Turnover in Gamot Integrated School.
Vivant Energy through its retail electricity unit, Corenergy, in partnership with Vivant Foundation (VFI), recently installed over PHP 2.2M worth of rooftop solar panels for the electrification of Gamot Integrated School located in Sitio Gamot, Brgy. Sta. Filomena, Quezon, Bukidnon. This project is implemented in collaboration with Bukidnon Power Corporation (BPC) and North Bukidnon Power Corporation (NBPC) and was a response to a call from DepEd for private sectors to aid the transition of the educational landscape in the country.
This project is a significant milestone for VFI, marking its first mountain school and its second Indigenous People (IP) barangay to benefit from its solar energization program. The project is part of Project Liadlaw, VFI’s broader efforts to address the digital divide and provide essential services to underserved and off grid communities.
“Before the installation of the solar panels from Vivaint, it would take the whole day for our students to reach the town proper to access electricity. The situation back then was really challenging which led to students not pursuing education”, Sta. Filomena Brgy. Captain, Hon. Ferdinand Silvestre stated as he looked back at the problem.
“Finally we are graced by this opportunity. The community of Sitio Gamot is beyond grateful for this project which will pave the way for our learners to have access to e-learning materials and make their education more effective”, Silvestre added.
The installed solar panels generate 12.1 KWP of power, providing sufficient capacity to power the entire Gamot Integrated School throughout the day. With the steady supply of power generated through the solar rooftop, , the school was awarded with free internet provision (Starlink) through the program of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
“Because of this project, we now have access to modern-day learning technologies that could help introduce our young learners to the modern world,” said Hon. Pablo Lorenzo III, Quezon Mayor.
To date, Project Liadlaw has electrified 21 off grid schools around the Philippines and VFI plans to continue expanding its solar electrification program to reach more remote schools. In addition, the foundation is working with the Department of Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to develop an upgraded version of the Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) curriculum to incorporate solar technology, ensuring the sustainability and maintenance of the solar energization projects
“As technology improves, more often than not our remote communities get left behind. Our solutions bring modern technologies to address inequities that remote, especially IP communities face in catching up with the modern world. At Vivant, our ethos– we are creating solutions for our changing world”, VFI Executive Director Shem Jose Garcia stated.
