Service knows no bounds: Energizing coastal homes in Obando, Bulacan
In Barangay Salambao, residents are accustomed not to the sound of rumbling traffic, but to the gentle hum of boat motors regularly plying their waterways. Located about an hour away from Manila via land travel, and another 20 minutes via boat, the houses in this community are surrounded by water from Manila Bay. While life on water may seem unconventional to city folk, for the residents here, it is home.
The barangay is in a mangrove forest, which overtime became inundated with seawater. Flood became a permanent presence in the coastal community. The predominantly low-income fishermen, whose homes are accessible only by boat, struggle to afford applying for individual electrical lines, making submetering electricity the most practical and convenient option even if it’s costlier versus a regular metered connection.
The coastal community where boats instead of cars play their main passageways is home to Barangay Salambao residents.
Roselyn Anzures has been a Salambao resident since birth, and until September 2024, her family had been submetering electricity from their neighbor, whose consumption then had to be limited to avoid overloading, which often sparks fires. After gaining individual electrical access along with 59 other residents, she started her own photocopying and laminating services which not only augmented the family income but also helped the community.
“Dito sa lugar namin, wala talagang serbisyo ng “xerox” o laminate. Tumatawid pa sila sa bayan. Kaya ‘yun ang naisip kong negosyo para hindi na sila pupunta sa malayo at gagastos ng pamasahe (In our area, there were no photocopying or lamination services available. They would have to go to the town proper for it, that’s why I thought of this business so they would not travel far anymore and pay for boat
fare),” said Anzures.
Household Electrification beneficiary Roselyn Anzures can earn more at home with her photocopying business, which in turn benefits her neighbors travel far for these services.
Through the Household Electrification Program, residents in Barangay Salambao no longer need to access electricity from their neighbors. OMF provided technical and financial assistance to these households to stem the need for submetering, where meter holders usually charge higher than normal rates and exposes the community to fire risk due to overloaded connections.
Obando Mayor Leonardo Valeda hailed the program for helping ensure the community’s safety now that fire incidents from overloading can be curbed, and that it gives often-overlooked residents a sense of progress starting at home.
The combined efforts of OMF, Meralco Valenzuela Business Center, the municipal government of Obando, and barangay officials of Salambao bring the benefits of electrification to residents of the coastal community
The electrification of Salambao homes was made possible by the efforts of OMF, the Meralco Valenzuela Business Center, the municipal government of Obando, and Barangay Salambao officials. “It is a testament that no matter how far or challenging it is to reach some communities, safe access
to electricity will be afforded by Meralco to the underserved,” assured Meralco North Business Head Maita B. David.
“It is the mission of Meralco to provide electricity to as much people in our service areas, even those in open-water areas,“ she added.
Through HEP, low-income households from underserved communities in the Meralco franchise area are assisted by various stakeholders so they can gain their own access to the grid. This empowers them to be more productive and become better contributors to the safety and progress of their immediate community.