Meralco energizes solar power station in Bulacan

BY LENIE LECTURA – APRIL 10, 2023
from Business Mirror

The foundation arm of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has energized a 3-kilowatt portable solar photovoltaic system in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

One Meralco Foundation (OMF) said over 100 families of the Dumagat Tribe are now reaping the benefits of the community’s integrated water system, which provides access to potable supply that can be used for drinking, bathing, washing, and cooking.

Following the electrification, the water facility, built by the Manila Water Foundation, can now filter, store, and distribute up to 10,000 liters of potable water through strategically placed communal faucets 24/7.

With no access to a water system, members of the Dumagat Tribe previously relied solely on water that flows from the stream (sapa) and spring (bukal) for their daily needs even if their community is situated within the confines of the Ipo Watershed–which supplies nearly all of Metro Manila’s water needs.

The energization of the integrated water facility in Sitio Sapang Munti is the first initiative of OMF for its Electrification for Water Access program, which aims to provide underserved communities with safe, clean, and reliable water source.

“While having access to potable water is a basic need and right, this still remains elusive for many Filipinos. To help bridge the gap, OMF has taken steps to help bring basic needs such as water and electricity closer to as many underserved communities as possible,” OMF President and Meralco Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Jeffrey Tarayao said.