TPEF Brings Light to Jagoliao Island

The townsfolk at Jagoliao Island in Bohol are lighted up by the solar lamp kits donated by the TORM Philippines Education Foundation (TPEF) last February.

Giving Light, Giving Hope

On 17 February 2022, TORM Philippines Education Foundation distributed solar lamp kits (complete with panels and batteries) to 130 households, and four solar-powered charging stations to the island of Jagoliao in Getafe, Bohol.

This day marks a new light of hope to the islanders in restoring their community affected by typhoon Odette through clean power.

These gifts of light are aimed at providing the households with cost-efficient devices highlighting a simple renewable energy system and zero carbon-emitting lighting. This can help the 130 households in Jagoliao Elementary School extend their hours of quality learning and improve academic performance.

A simple hands-on workshop was given to the teachers and parents to learn the basic solar lamp kits set-up from installation, proper usage, and troubleshooting of the units.

The four solar-powered charging stations provided will be readily installed in the vicinity of the elementary school and three in the community for usage. The solar charging station is the first of its kind on the island. It is a 50-watt photovoltaic panel with one USB port, one battery outlet, a water-resistant enclosure which is ideal for charging four gadgets a day.

Long-Term Impact

Being an off-the-grid community, the household beneficiaries claimed that the effect is immediate. They have now the means to experience ‘light’, especially at night.

They are now benefiting from healthy and quality lighting; they feel safe because their environment is clean as they are not exposed to harmful fumes from kerosene lamps. They will no longer shell out ten pesos daily for kerosene and their students can now concentrate on their studies because of sufficient lighting.

Thank You, Donors, and Volunteers!

TPEF is so grateful to the 27 colleagues from Denmark at shore/at sea who donated their Christmas present to the organization and colleagues from TORM Philippines for their additional donations, as that enabled TPEF to provide clean power to the island.

We also appreciate our TORM Shipping Philippines seafarers from Bohol who co-facilitated and assisted the beneficiaries during the training. Their support and efforts have been immensely valuable.

It is a great privilege as well to TPEF’s partner NGO Seed4com (Sustainable Energy and Enterprise Development for Communities) in Quezon City and SVD Holy Name University in Tagbilaran, Bohol, who worked on the ground and facilitated the training.

Lastly, thank you to the Department of Education schools’ division office in Bohol and district level in Getafe 1 for their unending support in providing such needs and counterpart in the achievement of TPEF’s social development initiatives in Jagoliao Elementary School.

Giving lights, regardless of how small or big it is, impacts the lives of other people. You truly are heroes of light.