Citicore links solar farming to Batangas market

Citicore Renewables has turned over a newly constructed community market in Tuy, Batangas, to provide local vendors and farmers with additional livelihood opportunities and a direct outlet for agricultural produce from its solar farming initiative.

Citicore Foundation formally handed over the Lumbangan Talipapa to Barangay Lumbangan, where local vendors can rent stalls under a barangay-managed rotational system. Rental proceeds will go into a dedicated fund for the market’s maintenance and long-term operations.

Barangay Lumbangan captain Edralin Camilon said the facility would help residents sell essential food products and create jobs for community members.

Big help to community

“Affordable vegetables, meat and fish are available here. What we needed was a place to sell them. The market provided by Citicore is a big help to members of our community who need jobs,” Camilon said.

The market will also serve as a retail outlet for crops harvested under Citicore’s Agrosolar initiative at its Batangas Solar project in Tuy. The program combines solar power generation and agriculture by growing crops in spaces between solar panels.

Citicore Renewables president and CEO Oliver Tan said the market completes a link between clean energy production, farming and local commerce.

Citicore’s agrivoltaics approach

“The turnover of the Lumbangan market represents the full circle of our agrivoltaics approach. By establishing a direct bridge from our Agrosolar harvests to a local retail center, we are not only generating clean energy and nurturing crops under solar panels, but also empowering host communities with sustainable commercial infrastructure and long-term economic independence,” Tan said.

Farmers participating in the Agrosolar initiative have also received government Good Agricultural Practices certification, which verifies that their agricultural production meets food safety standards and can help them access commercial markets.