Daily TribuneOne Meralco Foundation’s Rural Health Center Electrification paves way for expanded medical services in remote community
Safe childbirth is now possible in the remote rural health center of Barangay Caponayan, Cuyo Islands in Palawan after it was energized using solar power by OMF’s Rural Health Center Electrification Program.
Photographs courtesy of one meralco foundation
The newly energized remote rural health center of Barangay Caponayan, Cuyo Islands in Palawan is now better equipped so healthcare workers can provide more essential services, including childbirth and lying-in support.
Photographs courtesy of one meralco foundation
Better access to health services. With the newly energized health station, a mother can now keep her child’s vaccines up to date.
Photographs courtesy of one meralco foundation
Turning darkness to light. Rural health workers no longer work in the dark as One Meralco Foundation energizes the Barangay Caponayan Health Station in Palawan.
Photographs courtesy of one meralco foundation
Safe childbirth is now possible in the island community’s health center of Barangay Caponayan in the islands of Cuyo, Palawan, after One Meralco Foundation (OMF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco), energized the facility using solar energy through its Rural Health Center Electrification Program.
On the afternoon of 29 July, a new chapter began for Barangay Caponayan. Sonia Agawin, a resident, gave birth to her youngest daughter, Danica, marking the first delivery in the newly energized health station. With electricity from the sun, the midwife and nurse on duty were able to work with ease. Light allowed them to move freely even as night fell, while electricity allowed them to boil water and ensure all medical tools were properly sterilized. The newly renovated health station, with its improved ventilation, provided much-needed comfort for Sonia, her baby and the healthcare team.
Before the health center’s electrification, expectant mothers like Sonia must travel to Cuyo town proper — a two-hour boat ride one way — a month before their due date to ensure a safe delivery at the Cuyo District Hospital. This posed a heavy financial strain on their families, who had to shoulder the cost of their temporary stay and a P2,000 one-way boat rental.
With the health station revitalized, healthcare workers can now respond more effectively to emergencies and provide lying-in services, saving residents from long trips for essential care.
“Ramdam mo ‘yung kumpyansa na maideliver ng safe ang bata dahil alam mong mas accessible na ang mga kailangan sa panganganak. Ibang kumpyansa ang dulot ng may liwanag na. Mas sure ako sa aking galaw, hindi hassle maghanap ng mga gamit, at mabilis maka-sterilize ng gamit,” said midwife Jenie May Nadayao, who has been working as a healthcare worker in Barangay Caponayan since 2023.
OMF powered Barangay Caponayan Health Station in June 2025 through funds raised from the 2024 Meralco Golf Cup. The Foundation launched the electrification of rural health centers and barangay health stations to enhance the delivery of medical services in remote communities. Since 2022, the program has helped more than 21,000 residents in rural communities with energized health stations and centers in Rizal, Quezon, Palawan Iloilo, Sarangani and South Cotabato.
“ By energizing rural health stations, we do more than just upgrading in frastructures. Electrification paves the way for quality healthcare that replaces the concerns of long and risky journeys of expectant mothers with the comfort of a safe childbirth. It also boosts the confidence of our rural and barangay health workers knowing that they can now care for their patients even in the remotest of barangays in the country,” OMF president Jeffrey O. Tarayao said.
