Household electrification sparks home-based businesses in Bulacan
In Barangay San Mateo, Norzagaray, Bulacan, 170 low-income households are now benefiting from energized homes, some of which opened their own home-based businesses, after One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), brought its Household Electrification Program (HEP) there.
Many of these households from Sitios Compra, Alinsangan, Macawani, Ipo, Centro, liwasan, Hulo, and Sapang Saging didn't have their own access to electricity. This led to many residents resorting to costly submetering power access. Through HEP, OMF and the Meralco Sta. Maria Business Center donated for the installation of service entrances and provided them technical assistance to gain their own power access.
The family of Francisco Lagman, who resides in Sitio Sapang Saging, used to submetering electricity from their neighbors for eight years. Regardless of their electricity consumption to power just their television set and electric fan, and to charge their phones, they were asked to pay P1,000 every month. With the assistance they received from OMF and Meralco, their house is now connected to Meralco's grid which can result in significant savings for their family. The money they will save will pay for the tuition of their two kids who are still in school.
Resident Melinda Borromeo, whose family benefited from OMF's HEP six years ago, is now reaping the rewards of an energized home with access to Meralco's service. Since then, she has been running her own sari-sari store and carinderia, as well as a piso WiFi which, in itself, brings in as high as P8,000 monthly in earnings so she can pay for her Meralco bill.
When OMF and Meralco again visited their community to look for a new batch o0f beneficiaries, she told her son—who lives independently from her—to apply for the program. "Napakalaki po talagang tulong, magaan-gaan na sa bulsa," she said.
In a statement, Mayor Maria Elena L. Germar thanked OMF and Meralco for efforts to help the low-income communities in Norzagaray. “Our partnership with you has already made a meaningful difference in the lives of our constituents, and we look forward to our continued collaboration as we work together for the betterment of our community. With programs like this that bring hope to our constituents, tunay ngang may liwanag ang buhay.”
“Seeing the light in homes here in Norzagaray which once faced difficulties in the dark is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve together. By illuminating lives, we help create productive families, and stronger, more resilient communities,” OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao said.
Since 2011, OMF through its Household Electrification Program energized more than 79,000 low-income households within the Meralco franchise area, enabling families to become more productive at home, to boost their income, and to contribute to the progress in their immediate communities and their provinces.