Small lamps, big potential: One Meralco Foundation empowers Capiz fisherfolks with solar lights
Light Up Pilipinas brings the benefits of solar lamps to individuals and households in remote communities in the country. These individuals and households need the lamp for their homes, livelihood, and for productivity improvement. By engaging donors ranging from Meralco employees to customers, and partnering with other organizations, the campaign benefits fisherfolks, indigenous people communities, forest rangers, soldiers in combat and those assigned in the country’s borders.
One Meralco Foundation (OMF), through its program Light Up Pilipinas, has donated solar lamps for fisherfolks in Capiz. Seen in photo are OMF President Jeffrey O. Tarayao with members of the beneficiary community. (Courtesy of Mayor Ronnie Dadivas of Roxas City, Capiz)
Tin-Tin Dela Cruz’s family was once among illegal oyster growers in Capiz. It was her parents’ livelihood that put her and three other siblings to school, but they had to quit schooling after the local government put a stop to their business to rehabilitate the Palina River.
“Dati, illegal ‘yung pag-culture namin ng tahong at talaba, at nasisira nito ang ilog sa amin kaya dinemolish ‘yung pinagkakabuhayan namin noong 2006. Dahil doon, hindi na kaya ng mga magulang namin na pag-aralin kami at napahinto kaming magkakapatid sa pag-aaral (Before, we were in the business of illegal culture of shellfish which harmed the river, so the local government closed our business in 2006. Because of that, my parents could no longer afford to pay for our education. We had to stop schooling),” Tin-Tin recalled.
Fisherfolks affected by the city government’s move to demolish illegal structures were given alternative livelihood. The Roxas City government helped them organize the Palina River Development Association (PARIDA), which became active in mangrove reforestation initiatives along the waterway.
Five years later, the city government provided funds to establish the Palina Greenbelt Ecopark so fisherfolks can turn to an honest livelihood managing the park. This also paved the way for the Dela Cruz siblings to continue their education.
Tin-Tin and her mother now work at the ecopark. She supports the operations by preparing the food served to the visitors, while her mother Salvacion leads eco-tours and offers massage services to tourists.
But life is not always smooth sailing for the Dela Cruz family and other members of PARIDA. The bustling activities in the park were interrupted after it was devastated by two super typhoons–first, by Yolanda in 2013 and again by Odette in late 2021. Determined and inspired to help PARIDA members rise again, One Meralco Foundation (OMF) and other foundations in the MVP Group came to their aid.
In September 2023, Tin-Tin and other PARIDA members received quality solar lamps from the Foundation’s Light Up Pilipinas program. The initiative helps underserved individuals and households in remote communities as well as community enterprises boost their productivity with the help of portable solar lamps, especially at night. For Palina Greenbelt Ecoparkmembers, these solar lamps became the beacons of light after the sun sets.
“Kapag low tide, nanghuhuli kami ng alimasag para may ulam kami. Dati, ang gamit namin na ilaw ay lighter lang o petromax (kerosene lamp). Ngayon, itong solar lamp na ang kasama namin sa panghuhuli. Walang gastos kasi ibibilad mo lang sa araw sa umaga, may charge na siya (When it’s low tide, we harvest crabs so we have something to eat. Before, our only source was a cigarette lighter or kerosene lamps. Now, we’re using these solar lamps. It doesn’t cost anything because all you have to do is to expose it to sunlight, then it will charge),” Tin-Tin shared.
