Surrounded by a stretch of rice paddies, the town of Laak in Davao de Oro is home to a vibrant farming community that caters to the growing demand for grains in the province.

With rice fields blanketing the town, the Laak Multipurpose Cooperative (LAMPCO) in 2010 built a milling facility so that farmers in the community can process their harvest themselves, support their livelihood and provide better for their respective families.

In 2012 however, the community was devastated when Typhoon Pablo hit southern Philippines—flooding villages, destroying homes and crops, and toppling power lines. Since then, LAMPCO has had no reliable power source which hampered the operations of the rice mill and limited the livelihood opportunities of farmers in the area.

ENERGIZING PRODUCTIVITY

 Recognizing the potential of the farming life in Laak, the One Meralco Foundation (OMF) provided energization assistance to ramp up the livelihood operations of LAMPCO. The project involves the installation of a 5.1-kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic system for the rice milling facility of LAMPCO.

The assistance provided by OMF responds to the basic need for electricity in rural areas in the country for better delivery of social services as well as to improve the overall quality of life.

With the new solar facility, the cooperative has increased its production by over threefold to over 100 sacks of milled rice daily from around 30 sacks per day previously. The boost in rice mill production also provides additional capital for farmers to sustain their crops throughout the planting season since potential earnings are estimated to be around PHP2,000 per sack of processed grains.

LAMPCO General Manager Edesa Morante said the energization assistance provided by OMF also allowed the cooperative to cater to more community members.

"While power is a basic need, the impact it generates to our organization and the community magnifies how power in its basic form can change lives and make it better," Morante said.

"We are now moving forward as a multipurpose cooperative and along with us are the many households that depend on our services. The benefits we gained from the energization will ripple to our members and the rest of the communities we serve," she added.

Aside from boosting the livelihood operations of LAMPCO, the assistance provided by OMF also helps build the resilience of the agri-business cooperative to provide them with better market opportunities and enhance their living conditions according to Cooperative Development Program Philippines Country Director Melissa Alado.

OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao meanwhile emphasized the importance of electricity and grassroots level collaborations in building bridges and opening new doors for better economic opportunities for different Filipino communities.

"Lack of electricity continues to be a challenge for many communities especially in rural Philippines. The agriculture and livelihood electrification is an expansion of our community electrification program that fosters inclusivity and equitable access to basic services powered by sustainable and renewable energy solution," Tarayao said.

"We have witnessed that power is a great equalizer to enable last-mile Filipinos to become productive actors of their community and the country," he added.

The energization of agriculture and livelihood projects is among the initiatives of OMF under its community electrification program which also covers off-grid public schools, low-income households in the Meralco franchise area, rural health centers, and water access.

As the corporate social development arm of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), OMF is committed to providing access to energy to as many underserved communities as possible as part of its mission to spreading the light.