Access to clean and safe water is among the basic needs that are crucial not just for sustaining life but also in building healthy and productive communities. In several parts of the Philippines, there are still remote communities that are yet to have access to this fundamental need.

The World Bank's 2020 data indicate that only around 47% of the Philippines' population has access to clean water. Considering that this is often referred to as the elixir of life, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has been actively helping the government address the challenge through One Meralco Foundation's (OMF) Water Access Electrification Program.

Committed to empowering off-grid areas across the country, OMF has been powering water distribution facilities in remote communities using solar energy

Among its recent beneficiary is Barangay Sibaltan in El Nido, Palawan whose residents have access to reliable and sustainable water, a welcome development for the well-being and productivity of the community.

OMF installed an 8-kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system to power the Acosta Water Pumping Station, which is expected to benefit up to more than 300 households, majority of whom are members of the Cuyonon ethnic group.

Before OMF's program reached the community, Barangay Sibaltan's primary water facility, which was operated by the Municipal Economic Enterprises and Development Office (MEEDO), relied on diesel generators, resulting in high operating costs that presented challenges for both MEEDO and the community.

The facility's dependence on the use of generator sets also made the community vulnerable to intermittent water service, affecting their daily activities, productivity, and livelihood, which include fishing and agricultural farming, particularly planting rice, and cashew nuts.

Acosta Water Pumping Station's transition to solar power really benefited the community as it did not only address the financial challenge they are facing but also enabled the facility to function effectively.

According to MEEDO Head Rene Acosta, the water pumping station has operated more efficiently following the energization of the facility. With this upgrade, they have successfully saved approximately 400 liters in diesel expenses while ensuring the distribution of around 4,300 cubic meters of water to numerous households in Barangay Sibaltan.

Looking back to the community's challenges before OMF's water access electrification program reached Barangay Sibaltan, Mr. Acosta shared, "Malaki po ang aming gastusin sa fuel at kapag naubusan kami, minsan may araw na hindi kami makapag-operate kasi yung fuel ay kukunin pa namin doon sa bayan kaya minsan sa isang araw, walang supply ng tubig. Ngayon, kaya na mapaandar ang aming pumping station sa pamamagitan ng solar."

(Our fuel expenses are significantly high and when we run out of supply, there are days when we cannot operate since we need to get fuel from the mainland. On days without fuel supply, we also do not have a supply of water. Now, we can operate our pumping station by using solar.)

El Nido Mayor Edna Gacot-Lim, for her part, emphasized the benefits of the improved and solar-powered water facility to the municipality. "Ang programang ito ng One Meralco Foundation ay napakalaking tulong sa komunidad ng Barangay Sibaltan. Alam naman nating ang tubig ay isa sa mga pangunahing pangangailangan ng tao kaya't malaking bagay na may ganitong mga inisyatiba na ang tinutulungan ay malalayong mga barangay gaya ng Sibaltan. Sa halip na mag-igib pa ang mga residente, nakakarating na sa kanilang mga kabahayan ang maaasahang supply ng tubig," she said.

(One Meralco Foundation's program is a really big help to the community of Barangay Sibaltan. We all know that water is a basic need that's why initiatives like this that aim to empower remote barangays like Sibaltan are very important. Instead of fetching water manually, residents now have access to reliable water supply.)

OMF's transformative program has not only reduced Barangay Sibaltan's utilization of fuel but has also enabled the community to align with the municipality's commitment to adopt sustainable practices through renewable energy.

"One Meralco Foundation's mission is to really bring the benefits of electrification, especially to remote and marginalized communities like Barangay Sibaltan. Lighting up and bringing hope to the farthest and most remote barangays in the country to boost productivity for Filipinos, is the very core of the Foundation's existence," OMF President Jeffrey Tarayao concluded.