Aboitiz, Okada bring digital learning to Agusan school

Aboitiz Foundation and Okada Foundation Inc. have provided solar power and internet connectivity to a remote floating school in the marshlands of Agusan del Sur, expanding access to digital learning in one of the country's geographically isolated communities.

Through AuroraPH, Aboitiz Foundation's flagship education initiative, a 5.49-kilowatt-peak hybrid solar power system and satellite internet connectivity were installed at Dinagat Elementary School in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. The project aims to provide stable electricity and digital learning access to students and teachers in the remote community.

Located in Sitio Dinagat, Barangay San Marcos, the school can only be reached through an hour-long pump boat ride across the Agusan marshlands. During the rainy season, classrooms rise with floodwaters, underscoring the challenges faced by learners and educators in the area.

"At Aboitiz Foundation, we believe that where a child is born should never determine the quality of education they receive," said Aboitiz Foundation president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar. "Every learner — whether in a city classroom or in a floating school — deserves the opportunity to learn, connect, and build a better future."

AuroraPH combines renewable energy systems, satellite internet connectivity and digital learning tools to support schools in areas where conventional infrastructure remains limited. The program currently has 84 schools in the pipeline and aims to connect 300 last-mile schools nationwide to electricity and internet services. In the Caraga region alone, eight schools have already been energized through the initiative.

Okada Foundation expanded its partnership with Aboitiz Foundation through an additional P10-million grant to help bring reliable power and internet connectivity to more last-mile schools across the country.