It takes a village to light the future of children

For decades, Sitio Kabangbang in the Marilog District of Davao City remained unenergized, leaving the remote community without electric lights nor a network connection. Hours away from the city proper, Kabangbang’s lone elementary school, where its people pin their hopes and aspirations for the future, previously had to rely on gas lamps when the sky grew dark.

“Hinimok kami ng aming anak na itayo ang paaralan para hindi maranasan ng aming mga anak ang aming pinagdaanan—ang kawalan ng kaalaman,” shared Matigsalog Datu Ariston Mabayao, the local chieftain. (Our children urged us to build a school so that they won’t experience what we went through—a lack of knowledge).

“Pangarap namin ito para sa aming mga anak. Sabi ng apo ko, gusto niyang matuto. Makapagtrabaho siya o makatapos ng pag-aaral,” he added. (This is our dream for our children. My grandchild said that he wants to learn. To work and to finish his studies).

Kabangbang Elementary’s modest building only has two classrooms which are made to accommodate more than 90 students from different year levels. Having to make do with what they have, the teachers multi-task, catering to students of different grades simultaneously. Sometimes, they teach different classes sharing just one classroom that is divided by a bookshelf.

Adding to the struggles, the students also had to walk some miles from their unenergized homes to a school that also had no electricity. According to the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd), 1,562 similar public schools across the country operate without electric power.

“Pahirapan po, especially sa pag-provide ng mga instructional materials kasi hindi kami makapag-print [dahil] walang kuryente. Ang ginagawa ng teacher, sulat sa blackboard, sulat sa Manila paper,” said Marima Guillen, a teacher of Kabangbang Elementary School. (It’s hard, especially in providing instructional materials because we can’t print without electricity. Teachers have to make full use of the blackboard and Manila paper).

“Saka hindi tumatagal ‘yung mga laptops kasi nalo-lowbat, walang available na mapag-charge-an kasi walang kuryente. Kahit na ‘yung mga cellphones, hindi makapag-charge. Even the basic need na magkaroon ng ilaw, pahirapan din,” she added. (The laptops we use don’t last long because once they get drained, there’s no available electricity to charge it. Same with cellphones, we cannot charge it. Even the basic need of having light is also hard).

Much farther from Davao City and as inaccessible as Kabangbang Elementary School is Lapinig Elementary School in Sitio Lapinig. Likewise, the school and the remote village it is situated in remained unenergized for decades. This hasn’t stopped teachers from hiking through the rugged terrain to reach their students, staying in the schools for days on end away from their own families.

“Isa sa pinakamalaking hamon… is ‘yung teknolohiya—kung paano namin masasabayan ‘yung mga trend na nasa labas; paano namin ipapaliwanag nang maigi na higit nilang mauunawaan,” shared Judy R. Patac, school head of Lapinig Elementary School, highlighting the growing digital divide. (One of the biggest challenges… is technology—on how we can keep up with the trends outside; how we can more effectively explain so that students can understand better).

To help these far-flung schools, the Aboitiz Foundation, together with Davao Light and Power Co., an AboitizPower distribution utility, included them in the Aurora PH initiative, which finally provided them with electricity from solar panels and internet connectivity via Starlink, as well as digital learning tools and capacity building sessions for teachers.

Last November, five-kilowatt solar panels with battery storage were installed in both the Kabangbang and Lapinig Elementary Schools, which are enough to power a small refrigerator, a television, lights, and electric fans for each school. As a result, learning has become brighter, wider, and more exciting.

“Mas mauunawaan ng bata po kapag may nakikita po talaga sila. Katulad ng anyong tubig... Ang nakikita lang nilang anyong tubig dito sa palibot nila ay ‘yung ilog. Hindi nila nakikita ‘yung [itsura ng] karagatan. Pero ngayon, maipapakita na po ni teacher na ganun pala kalapad; may mas malapad pa pala sa ilog na nakikita nila sa palibot,” Judy said. (The children will have a better understanding when they see actual pictures. For example, the bodies of water… They are only familiar with a river since that is what they have here. They don’t know what an ocean looks like. But now, the teacher can show just how wide it is; they’ll see how there are bigger bodies of water than a river.)

“Dito kasi nag-stay ang mga guro tuwing gabi para gumawa ng lesson plans. May ilaw na sila kahit dis-oras ng gabi. Sa umaga naman, ginagamit ito ng mga estudyante para sa mas pinahusay na pag-aaral gamit ang TV,” said Davao Light Reputation Enhancement Head Fermin Edillon. (Teachers stay here every night to make their lesson plans. They now have light even when it’s late at night. In the morning, the electricity powers the TV, which the students use for improved learning.)

Since 2023, Aurora PH has helped over 10 schools get access to electricity and the internet, including schools that cater to indigenous tribes. This year, the program looks to onboard 50 more last-mile schools en route to helping 300 schools in the next 15 years.

“Aurora means light. So in a very real sense, it's bringing light to these schools, to the lives of teachers, communities, and especially the students,” said Aboitiz Foundation President Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar. “Knowing the huge digital divide in education, we recognize that these last-mile schools lack electricity, power, and even connectivity—cutting them off from the rest of the world.”

“We hope that by providing this kind of infrastructure, we're able to help students access better learning tools and digital resources, while also helping the teachers in the long run.”

For over 35 years, the Aboitiz Foundation—which is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Aboitiz Group—has also improved public school facilities, expanded scholarship programs, and provided opportunities for postgraduate learning in innovation and technology. By helping bridge the gap, AboitizPower and the Aboitiz Foundation supports the DepEd and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of quality education for all.

“Matagal na tiniis ng mga bata ang dilim habang nag-aaral. Ngayon, mas makakapag-focus na ang mga bata sa pag-aaral dahil may ilaw na. Kaya nagpapasalamat talaga ang mga bata sa naitulong ng Davao Light. Mas madali na nilang maintindihan ang kanilang mga aralin,” said Datu Ariston Mabayao. (Our children have long endured the hardship of studying in the dark. Now, they can really focus on their studies because there is light. That is why they are really thankful for Davao Light’s help. Their lessons are now easier to understand.)

“Hindi lang po liwanag yung nadala ni Aurora PH sa amin po [at] sa mga bata, kundi bagong pag-asa po na mas matututo pa po sila,” added Judy. “Sa panig po naman ng mga guro, malaking tulong… ‘Yung mga visual aid na dating kinukulayan nila, ngayon hindi na kasi [may] mas makulay pa. Mas nabibigyang buhay niya kung ano yung tinuturo.” (It wasn’t just light that Aurora PH brought to us and the children, but also a new hope that their education can prosper… The teachers think that it is a big help… They no longer have to make and color their visual aids because [the actual pictures] are much more colorful. It brings more life to what we teach).

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Aboitiz Power Corporation.