The Department of Energy (DOE) has deployed a Mobile Energy System (MES) to Pag-asa Integrated School on Pag-asa Island, delivering reliable electricity to one of the country’s most remote off-grid communities.
“This Mobile Energy System helps make sure no child is left behind. This technology completely changes how education functions on Pag-asa Island, ensuring that the children can have a safe, supportive learning environment without disruption,” Secretary Sharon S. Garin said Friday.
Designed for rapid deployment, the MES is a solar-powered, trailer-mounted unit equipped with battery storage and a hybrid on-grid/off-grid inverter.
It can be transported quickly to far-flung islands and disaster-affected areas, providing immediate electricity support where permanent power systems are unavailable or disrupted.
The system allows students to finish homework after dark, teachers to conduct uninterrupted lessons, and health workers to keep essential equipment running.
The DOE, in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), also donated lanterns crafted by TESDA training centers nationwide, symbolizing light, learning, and national support.
The turnover was led by Garin, together with National Power Corporation President Jericho Jonas B. Nograles, DOE Undersecretaries Felix William Fuentebella and Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, and Assistant Secretaries Lethel Alburo-Mejia and Mandy Romero.
Pag-asa Island, the largest Philippine-occupied feature in the West Philippine Sea, serves as the administrative, economic, and civilian hub of the Kalayaan Island Group.
It is home to a permanent Filipino community with basic government services, infrastructure, and a functioning airstrip and beaching ramp that support both civilian and government operations.