Electrification Transforms Education for Students in the Islands and the Mountains
In Vinzons, Camarines Norte, students, teachers, and staff of Mangcawayan Island Integrated School are lucky to get the best views of the weekday sunrise. The school, located in the easternmost part in the collective Calaguas Group of Islands, faces the Pacific Ocean and can only be reached via a two-to-three hour boat ride from the mainland, depending on the waves. Due to its remoteness, the last mile school—and the whole of Calaguas—has always been off-grid. This has been the norm for as long as they can remember.
The sunrise there may be spectacular, but it also brings excessive heat by midday due to poorly ventilated classrooms, with some students passing out. When relief comes in the form of rain, learning is also interrupted as students and teachers cannot see properly in the dark. It’s a “generational struggle,” the experience of young Bicolanos, some of whom would become teachers themselves, going through the same struggles of their predecessors: Preparing lessons at night by candlelight or gas lamps.
In another island school in Calaguas, Eugenia M. Quintela Memorial High School, the students’ knowledge about the world was limited to scarce library resources and the existing curriculum.
“Dati po, ang mga guro lang ang pagkukuhanan ng impormasyon ng mga mag-aaral dahil walang internet. Kaya dati ang pangarap lang din namin ay maging guro dahil ‘yun lang ang nakikita namin dito sa aming isla (Before, when there was no internet access yet in the island, the students’ only source of information are their teachers. That’s why here, we dream of becoming teachers because they’re the only ones we’re exposed to),” shared teacher Jonel Elnar, who himself pursued a career in the academe because of his former teachers.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in Liguma Mangyan Elementary School in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro and in Calupisan Elementary School in Rizal, Palawan, teachers struggle with student absenteeism, most of who are indigenous Mangyan and Palaw’an people. Among the factors keeping learners away from school are the long distances students need to traverse from home.
“Ang distansya ng school mula sa kanilang tahanan ay malayo. Kaya papapasukin lang nila ang anak nila kapag kaya na nila maglakad mag-isa dahil wala silang kasama papasok. Nahihiya tuloy ang mga mas nakakatandang bata na makipagsabayan sa mas batang kaklase (The distance from the students’ homes to the school is far. That is why parents only allow their children to go to school when they are able to walk to school on their own, as nobody would take them there. Thus older students often feel embarrassed being with younger peers in the same grade level),” lamented Teacher Analyn Miñao, who teaches Palaw’an kindergarten students.
Due to lack of printers, teachers have had to tempt fate, carrying reams of printed learning materials across a river on a near-daily basis just so their students can have their own copies of learning materials, Teacher-in-Charge Neljoy Bohol added.
On the other hand, Mangyan students frequently displayed low motivation during class. While the teachers believe gadgets can entice students to learn, the school cannot accommodate such equipment due to lack of electricity.
When teachers use their laptops, the battery would only last for half a day, not enough to cover all their assigned classes, leaving some students with less technological aids.
These challenges hounded the four schools for years.
That is, until these were energized with their own solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in 2024 through OMF’s School Electrification Program.
Teachers of Calupisan Elementary School can produce better learning materials that grab the attention of students using devices such as television and laptops powered by electricity.
Now, more than ever, the sun is a welcome sight. Through solar energy, the schools are well-lit and well-ventilated (thanks to ceiling fans), and most importantly, the schools see improved teacher and student productivity. In Mangcawayan Island Integrated School for one, teachers can now prepare lessons even at night with better lighting, while students can better focus on classwork as electric fans now combat the pantropical heat.
“Sa animnapu’t siyam na taong nakatayo ang school, ngayon lang po kami nabigyan ng kuryente at ‘yun po ang isa sa mahahalagang bagay na ikauunlad ng paaralan (For the longest time, for so many decades, this is the first time the school had access to electricity and it is one of the most important developments for the school),” Mangcawayan Island Integrated School Teacher-in-Charge Tristian dela Austria said.
In Eugenia M. Quintela Memorial High School, gone are the days when information is limited to what the teacher knows and what the library holds. With electricity, students can now use laptops and cellphones and connect to the internet to enjoy a wealth of new information and educational videos published online.
Now, the students can dream bigger than before.
“Ngayon, ang mga estudyante may awareness na malayo pa ang mararating nila dahil nagkaroon na sila ng mas malawak na perspective dahil sa edukasyon. Ang iba sa kanila nangangarap na ngayon maging engineer, pilot, o pati flight attendant (Now, students are more aware that they can achieve greater things because education afforded them a wider perspective in life. Some of them are dreaming of becoming an engineer, a pilot, or even a flight attendant),” an excited Teacher Jonel shared.
When lights and the television are turned on at Liguma Mangyan Elementary School, so is the motivation of young students to learn. The Mangyan community also has a growing appreciation for the newly energized school.
Students, with the help of their teachers, can explore the world remotely with information they gathered online now that they can connect to the internet at school.
“Naa-arouse ang motivation ng students. ‘Yung focus nila, nandoon talaga sa lesson na nagiging daan para mas maging epektibo na ang pag-aaral nila. Nababawasan na rin ang absenteeism kasi excited na sila pumasok. Tuwang-tuwa po ang community (The students’ motivation is aroused. They are now focused on their lessons, leading to better learning outcomes. Absenteeism is also on the decline because the students are now excited to go to school. The community is overjoyed),” Liguma Mangyan Elementary School Teacher-in-Charge Larry Salcedo shared.
With this new development at Calupisan Elementary School, Teacher Analyn expects that more students will be encouraged to go to school. She is also confident that the teachers can provide better learning materials, thanks to electricity and technology. “Magiging mas malawak na rin ang pagkukuhanan namin ng resources, at makakapag-Powerpoint na kami para may visual aids na para sa mga estudyante (We now have access to more resources, and we can use Powerpoint to provide visual aids for the students).”
Teacher Neljoy is optimistic for their students’ futures. “May pag-asa. Lagi kong binibitawan sa kanila na may maganda kayong kinabukasan na mararating so very thankful ako na ‘yung liwanag, it gives us hope (There’s hope. I always tell my students that they have a bright future ahead so I’m very thankful that the light gives us hope).”
Since 2012, OMF’s School Electrification Program has energized 304 public schools across the Philippines, paving the way for a better learning experience and improved productivity for more than 92,000 students and 3,000 teachers.